Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

You will:

- As a national expert in health physics, radiological emergency preparedness, and planning and response activities, evaluate imminent health threats associated with emergency releases of toxic and radioactive wastes;

- Prepare for and respond to naturally occurring and man-made emergencies involving nuclear and radioactive materials as a member of NCRFO’s Radiological Emergency Response Team (RERT);

- Provide consultation to other federal, state, and local health, environmental, and natural resource agencies on problems associates with exposure to radioactive environmental contaminants;

- Conduct evaluation studies concerning radiological emergency preparedness and response activities and the impact of nuclear incidents on human health and the environment; 

- Provide technical assistance and training on the assessment of exposures and does from radionuclides in the environment.

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

Conditions of employment

• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• You must submit a resume and required documents (see How to Apply section).
• You may be required to travel 6 to 10 days per month.
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter.
• Position has educational/degree requirements (see Qualifications section).

This position is designated as High 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.

You will be required to obtain and maintain a top secret security clearance.

If you are selected, you must complete a one year probationary period.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

You need a degree or combination of education and experience as described below to qualify for this position.

Health Physicist: You must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus; OR a combination of education and experience which included courses in the fields included in the described course work; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education comparable to the described coursework.

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 14 level, you need to have at least one year of full time experience equivalent to the GS 13 level defined as interpreting radiological risks from radiation exposure; using statistical methods to assess, review, and validate radiological data; and responding to naturally occurring or man-made emergencies involving nuclear or radioactive materials.

Your answers to the on-line assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Knowledge of radioactive materials and/or radiation sources; 2) Skill in analyzing toxic and radioactive wastes; 3) Ability to identify and control contaminants from naturally-occurring and man-made radioactive materials; 4) Skill in written communication; 5) Skill in oral communication; 6) Skill in performing radiological risk assessments; 7) Skill in evaluating radiological data; 8) Skill in project management.

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.

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How you will be evaluated

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

This position is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management’s government-wide direct-hire authority.  Under the provisions of the direct-hire authority, category rating, veterans’ preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply.  We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  All applicants who meet these requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for further consideration.  If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments.