Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist)
Department of Justice
Summary
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.
Duties
- What are the Major Duties of this Position?
- Conducts safety and environmental inspections of the institution and prepares a report for the Environmental and Safety Compliance Administrator's review.
- Promotes the adherence of safety policy for the facility.
- Assist in the training of staff and inmates in the techniques of firefighting, occupational safety and environmental protection.
- Assist the Safety Administrator or Assistant Safety Administrator in conducting investigations and obtains statements from witnesses and securing physical evidence.
- Prepares factual written reports for all concerned that will identify the accident, injuries suffered by staff and/or inmates, cost of property damage and offer recommendations to eliminate future accidents in the future.
- Responsible for developing and conducting safety training classes for the inmate population and staff.
- Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution.
- The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.
Requirements
Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location. See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information. NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP or ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
Education
See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
Superior Academic Achievement. (S.A.A.) applicants MUST provide a transcript in order to be considered under S.A.A. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Class standing — Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) — Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society — Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.
Required Documents
Prepare the documents below before applying. Always confirm the exact requirements on the official announcement, since they vary by position:
- Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.
- If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc.
- Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.
- Veterans' Preference Documentation: Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility.
- DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge).
- SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit: A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15.
- A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran's Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation.
- For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here.
- If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information: (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; (2) and the character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and (3) any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals.
- Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional).
About this role
The Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist) position with the Department of Justice is based in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. The role pays $57,188 to $82,301 per year.
Day to day, the work involves conducting safety and environmental inspections of the institution and prepares a report for the Environmental and Safety Compliance Administrator’s review. The full list of duties, conditions, and required documents appears in the official announcement linked on this page.
Who should apply
Review the announcement's Qualifications section closely, since it defines exactly what federal administrative work experience this Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist) position requires. It is graded at GS-9, which sets both the pay band and the experience reviewers expect you to document. Match your federal resume directly to the announcement's wording so a reviewer can confirm each requirement in writing. For this Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist) position with the Department of Justice in Yazoo City, Mississippi, confirm you meet each requirement before applying.
How competitive it is
The posted pay of $57,188 to $82,301 per year places this in a competitive but attainable range for qualified applicants. Based in Yazoo City, Mississippi, it competes within that local market, which can mean lighter competition than major metropolitan postings. The announcement closes on July 10, 2026, and federal postings can close early once enough applications arrive, so applying promptly is wise.
This overview is general guidance from Job Army to help you understand the role. Always read the official announcement for exact duties, qualifications, and requirements before applying.
