Our Mission: Keep Washington Safe and Working!
Our Values: Customer Focus, One L&I, Respect, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Learning and Growth, Reliability
Extra Salary Information:
Bilingual candidates of all languages are strongly encourage to apply. In addition to the base salary above, if hired as bilingual, our top applicant will be required to pass an assessment of your ability to write and speak fluently in a language other than English. We do not use translating software. Employees with bilingual responsibilities receive a 5% increase in pay.
Job Highlights
This is an exciting opportunity to apply your skills and talents to a unique occupational health and safety research group, the Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program in the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), as an Ergonomist 3. This is a project position that reports to the Senior Epidemiologist of the SHARP Ergonomics Research team. Currently this project position is expected to last a minimum of five years but we anticipate additional time allocated to this project.
If hired, you will be a part of the Janitorial Workload Study project and will develop culturally appropriate prevention content applicable to reducing or eliminating work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) risk factors in the janitorial services industry. You will assist with field research in occupational ergonomics, evaluating risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders in janitorial and cleaning occupations, and advising and making recommendations to other internal safety professionals, agency divisions, L&I employees, workers, and partners to help reduce high injury rates in janitorial and cleaning workers.
This position also presents an opportunity to work with the staff in the Work Equity and Research Center (WERC) on projects, including evaluating educational and training materials using an equity lens.
The work of this position directly supports meeting one of our agency’s goals, Goal 1: Make Workplaces Safe (Reduce injury rate; Foster a culture of safety), and our agency mission to “Keep Washington Safe and Working”.
Who you are:
You value work-related injury and illness prevention, research, and training. You want to be a part of an equitable, multi-disciplinary team who collaborates to produce research-based workplace injury and illness prevention resources. You are passionate about making workplaces safer and get excited about influencing meaningful change. You have a familiarity with general workplace safety principles. You believe workplace injuries and illnesses are preventable, and that all people deserve safe and dignified work. You understand the social and economic factors that contribute to workplace health and safety concerns.
You are able to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. You have highly developed interpersonal skills, and demonstrate critical thinking. You can communicate effectively with a wide range of groups who may have different needs and priorities (workers, employers, safety and health professionals, researchers).
We are looking for someone to be a part of a team with diverse priorities but who can also work well in multiple settings. Your ability to listen, authentically connect, communicate and respectfully engage others to provide optimized tools to reduce workplace risks, all while remaining curious and flexible, will be assets in this position.
Why Work for us:
The Janitorial Workload Study is a research project, tasked by the legislature, whose goal is to research and find out from janitors, labor and business safety leaders what issues, tools, and tasks are the most hazardous and recommend ways to reduce these risks.
The SHARP program is dedicated to promoting healthy work environments and focuses on workplace safety and health by collaborating with employers and workers and using data to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. We are a unique, collaborative, multi-disciplinary group of individuals including researchers, safety and health professionals, and physicians. We conduct research, produce and publish injury prevention resources, and communicate injury prevention by partnering with other L&I teams and external partners.
Duties
Some of what you’ll do:
- Assist in WMSD hazard reduction efforts in the janitorial industry.
- Review ergonomics literature and statistics to understand ergonomic issues and concerns in the workplace.
- Assist in the evaluation and assessment of novel tools to diminish WMSD hazards.
- Develop prevention content directed at common MSD hazards in the janitorial industry.
- Communicate with workers, safety professionals, and community partners by developing and assisting in the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate educational and outreach materials.
- Search for and evaluate existing prevention content.
- Participate in writing report drafts, conference abstracts and proposals.
- Communicate with other ergonomics professionals and share information with safety professionals.
- Present the Janitorial Workload Study project to partners and other interested audiences.
- Participate in the workload calculator tool maintenance and expansion.
- Assist in obtaining additional exposure data for the calculator.
- Coordinate site visits.
- Document assessment results.
- Promote the use of the Janitorial Workload Calculator to workers and employers in the janitorial industry through demonstrations and hands-on trainings.
- Assist with worksite data collection using task observations, worker interviews, objective physical, physiological and biomechanical measurements, and other ergonomics methods included in the project design.
- Assist in ergonomics laboratory experiments.
- Participate in additional research and injury prevention opportunities developed by the SHARP Ergonomics team as the project moves forward.
Qualifications
Required:
A master’s degree in occupational ergonomics or other related field.
OR
A bachelor’s degree in occupational ergonomics or other related field.
OR
Equivalent education/experience. The knowledge and skills required to be effective in this position are equivalent to what could be acquired via some combination of education and experience, including but not limited to:
- Certificate program completed in area relevant to ergonomics or health and safety.
- Your lived working experience.
L&I recognizes the required qualifications listed above are historically accepted methods of obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) for the position. The position requirements allow other means of obtaining experience beyond a formal education setting. Previous work experience or other educational experiences that provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position as listed below are acceptable.
Driving is an essential function of this position. Individuals selected to fill this role must possess a valid unrestricted driver’s license.
Desired:
Bilingual candidates are strongly encourage to apply. Common languages spoken by the individuals you will work closely with include: Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Bosnian, Amharic, Somali, Chinese and Tagalog.
- Familiarity with ergonomic job evaluation tools and methods.
- A demonstrated understanding of common ergonomic issues facing workers and employers in a variety of workplace settings.
- Demonstrated ability to produce culturally appropriate prevention and intervention publications and education and outreach materials.
- Demonstrated abilities to gather, evaluate, and synthesize complex information and research materials.
- Demonstrated abilities to meet organizational goals and community partner needs.
- Demonstrated abilities to respectfully interact with a diverse array of groups.
- Demonstrated abilities to manage administrative and organizational tasks in a timely manner; including meeting institutional and legal requirements.
- A basic knowledge of statistical and epidemiological methods.
- Proficiency in writing and speaking a second language other than English.
- Demonstrated abilities to engage in learning and growth opportunities.
Supplemental Information
Things You Need To Know
State employees who meet the qualifications will become eligible for a generous retirement package at the end of the employee’s career. Click on the “Benefits” tab to learn more.
At L&I, your voice matters. In addition, L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3.3 million workers. Take a look at this brief video and learn more about why L&I is an employer of choice.
To help you maintain a proper work-life balance, L&I also offers flexible custom work schedules. For this position, telework is permitted full time with the requirement to work from the lab as needed. In addition, this position may spend up to 30% of the time traveling to worksites for data collection and focus groups. The assigned duty station for this position is Tumwater, Washington.
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Application process
We will contact the top candidates directly to interview for this position. Because we base the selection on information provided by you, it is in your best interest to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities that address the required and desirable qualifications described in the announcement.
Please include the following documents with your application:
- A cover letter describing specific qualifications.
- A current resume detailing applicable experience and education.
- A list of at least three professional references with current telephone numbers.
Please do not attach or place any medical information (vaccination status included) within the application, resume, or cover letter. If you do, we will have to reject your application to safeguard others from receiving your confidential information. You will have to remove the confidential information before you can apply again.
Background Check Notice
Prior to a placement in this position, a background check, including criminal history record will be conducted. Information from your background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining your eligibility to perform the requirements of the position.
Other information
- For positions requiring travel, you must have a valid unrestricted driver's license and have insurance if driving a privately owned vehicle on state business.
- This position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
- Candidates who are offered a job with L&I must possess work authorization that does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa now or in the future.
- The Department of Labor & Industries complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal employment eligibility verification form, I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form on the first day of employment.
- Please note: L&I may use this announcement to fill multiple permanent and/or non-permanent positions.
Did You Know?
Washington is America's Top State to live, play, and work, according to U.S. News (2021). Join the L&I team and enjoy all the Evergreen State has to offer.
In addition to offering a positive balance between life and work, L&I provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation. We also believe your voice matters. We value our employees and their work-life balance by encouraging flexible schedules. L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3 million workers.
Veterans Preference
Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach to their application a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as Social Security numbers. For further information, contact L&I’s Jobs@lni.wa.gov.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer
L&I employees come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
We believe in the importance of recognizing the value each of us contribute to the success of the agency mission. Having a diverse workforce is this agency’s greatest resource of strength and knowledge. It is through the combination of talents and abilities that we can pursue finding effective measures to provide the best customer service. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone and we strongly mean everyone.
The State of Washington is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with a disability who need accommodation in the application process or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call 360-902-5700. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.
You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our award-winning diverse and inclusive organization.
For more Information
If you have any questions regarding this job posting, program, or the agency, please contact Angela Laramie at lari235@lni.wa.gov.