At the entry level of this position, you will:

-Evaluate hazards and risks to aquatic and terrestrial species from exposure to industrial chemicals, biological agents, and/or nanomaterials;

-Prepare hazard and risk characterizations in support of assigned programs;

-Provide analyses on strategies and methodologies for hazard prioritization, screening and assessment to advise the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention’s (OCSPP) programs;

-Collect and analyze data, and evaluate and develop hazard assessment methods, tools, databases, and models;

-Develop briefing materials and presentations on complex issues related to hazard prioritization, screening and assessments.

When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses.

You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• Position has educational/degree requirements (see Qualifications section).
• You may be required to travel 1 to 5 days per month.
• If you are selected, a written participant agreement must be signed.
• You must submit a resume and required documents (see How to Apply section).

If you are still completing coursework, offer of employment will be contingent upon completion of degree/certificate program. Proof showing confer date within two months of the announcement closing date will be required before entry on duty.

If you are selected, the entire period served under the Recent Graduates program will be a trial period.

This position is designated as Low Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation.

Qualifications

In addition to the eligibility requirements for the Recent Graduates program, this position has specific educational requirements in order to qualify as described below:

Biologist: You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major, as listed.

Toxicologist: You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in toxicology, or an appropriate discipline of the biological, medical, or veterinary sciences that included at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, biochemistry, or physiology, and 12 semester hours in toxicology.

As part of the application process, you are required to submit college transcripts or a list of courses as described in the Required Documents section of this announcement. However, if you are selected you must provide official educational transcripts before you start work with EPA. More information on verification of education can be found here: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

In addition to the educational requirements, we are looking for at least one year of specialized experience related to this position as described below:  

To qualify for the GS-09 level, you need to have at least one year of full time experience equivalent to the GS-07 level defined as reviewing environmental hazard information and/or risk assessments; OR master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in the academic discipline as described below.

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you need to have at least one year of full time experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as evaluating environmental hazard information and/or risk assessments related to industrial chemicals, biological agents, and/or nanomaterials; OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in the academic discipline as described below.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Knowledge of hazard/risk assessment tools, models and methods; 2) Skill in evaluating environmental hazards and risks; 3) Ability to prepare hazard and risk characterizations; 4) Skill in written communication; 5) Ability to evaluate and use hazard/risk assessment tools and models; 6) Skill in data analysis; 7) Skill in making presentations and/or conducting scientific briefings. 

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your resume must address the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the Qualifications Section. If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the on-line assessment. Your responses to the on-line assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for the position. You are being evaluated under the category rating method which means, if you are determined to be qualified, you will be placed into the 'Gold', 'Silver', or 'Bronze' category.

We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. We will evaluate your qualifications and eligibility and notify you if you meet minimum qualification requirements.

NOTE: We do not require a separate statement responding to the competencies, also referred to as Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). However, your resume should clearly show possession of these competencies.