Health Physicist

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Atlanta, GA

12d

About The Position

This position is with the Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Environmental Health, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The Health Physicist serves as an expert on radiological assessment, environmental and medical radiation dosimetry, and related nuclear and radiological issues. The role provides scientific leadership in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating radiation studies involving exposure pathway analysis, source term estimation, and radiation dosimetry. The incumbent may serve as project officer, scientific advisor, or team leader on intramural research projects and projects supported by interagency agreements, cooperative agreements, contracts, and grants.

The position provides technical assistance to federal, state, and local agencies and the public on matters related to the Radiation Studies Program. It also contributes to the design, development, and maintenance of mathematical models of human biokinetics and physiology for radiation-dose analysis, including detailed design criteria for biological models. The Health Physicist collaborates with program staff and other agencies, contractors, and consultants, and serves on interagency work groups and committees, including the Advisory Team for Environment, Food, and Health and the Nuclear/Radiological Incident Task Force.

Requirements

• Meet the basic education requirement through a natural science or engineering degree that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus; or meet the specified combination of education and experience; or hold American Board of Health Physics certification with appropriate experience and other education.
• Have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.
• Specialized experience must include at least one of the following: complex dosimetry evaluations for internal exposure, external exposure, and skin contamination events, with proper documentation of evaluations and dose assignments; exposure pathway analysis, source term estimation, or similar dosimetry work using calculation methods such as Monte Carlo or Bayesian inference and radiation modeling software such as RASCAL, RESRAD, MCNP, or DCAL; planning, designing, and evaluating studies in radiation sciences; or preparedness, response, or recovery operations related to radiological or nuclear incidents.
• Applicants must document experience clearly and specifically, including exact employment dates and hours worked per week for part-time work.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for or exempt from Selective Service.
• Appointment requires successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• The incumbent must successfully pass a pre-appointment urinalysis drug screening and is subject to unannounced random drug testing.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the announcement closing date.
• A financial disclosure statement may be required, and a probationary or trial period may be required.
• Foreign education used to meet qualification requirements must be evaluated as equivalent to education in an accredited U.S. program or receive full credit at an accredited U.S. college or university.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an expert on radiological assessment, environmental and medical radiation dosimetry, and related nuclear and radiological issues.
• Provide scientific leadership in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating radiation studies involving exposure pathway analysis, source term estimation, and radiation dosimetry.
• Serve as project officer, scientific advisor, and, when necessary, team leader on assigned intramural research projects and projects supported by interagency agreements, cooperative agreements, contracts, and grants.
• Provide technical assistance to federal, state, and local agencies and members of the public on activities related to the Radiation Studies Program.
• Participate in the design, development, and maintenance of mathematical models of human biokinetics and physiology for radiation-dose analysis.
• Collaborate with Radiation Studies Program staff, federal and state agencies, contractors, and consultants to develop detailed design criteria for biological models.
• Serve on interagency work groups and committees, including the Advisory Team for Environment, Food, and Health and the Nuclear/Radiological Incident Task Force.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Incentives may be authorized, subject to factors including funds availability; possible incentives include moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentives, student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, and creditable service for annual leave based on prior non-federal work or uniformed military service.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior