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National Program Director for Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program

Environmental Protection Agency
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Summary

This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is located in the Office of Research and Development (ORD).  The location will be determined after a selection has been made for this position; if selected, you must work at one of the locations stated in this announcement.  About ORD: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-research-and-development-ord

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Overview

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Duties

The National Program Director (NPD) for Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program is located in the Immediate Office of the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The Office of Research and Development is the scientific research arm of the Agency, providing the data, tools, and information that form the sound scientific foundation the Agency relies on to fulfill its mission to protect the environment and safeguard public health. ORD operates in a matrix where research is planned by National Program Directors and the research is conducted in research centers. The National Program Directors and the Center Directors work in conjunction with the ORD leadership to design and implement ORD’s research portfolio.

Specific duties of the National Program Director include:

  • Leading the development of a coordinated sustainable and healthy communities research program and ensuring that ORD's research products and services effectively serve the needs of EPA Program Offices, Regions, and external stakeholders over the short, medium, and long term.
  • Developing a strategic research plan, known as the Strategic Research Action Plan.
  • Serving as the primary liaison between ORD and EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management; working with other NPDs to ensure that EPA’s Program Offices, Regions, and external stakeholders are consulted for their research needs.
  • Representing the SHC program to ORD’s Board of Scientific Counselors.
  • Providing expert scientific leadership and direction for scientific and technical matters in the SHC research portfolio.
  • Serving as the primary interface between the SHC research program and ORD senior management.
  • Serving as ORD's principal spokesperson for the SHC research program and representing the SHC research program throughout the Agency and broader Federal and external stakeholder communities.
  • Serving as ORD lead official for developing responses to Congressional, 0MB, and other inquiries related to the SHC research program.
  • Supervising and coordinating the day-to-day activities of the professional staff assigned to the SHC research program.
  • Planning and justifying the annual extramural and workforce resources associated with SHC.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must submit resume and required documents (see How to Apply section).
  • If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
  • You may be required to travel 1 to 5 days per month.
  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.

If you are selected, you must complete a 1-year SES probationary period, if not previously completed.

The Ethics in Government Act, P.L. 95-521, requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SES position, annually, and upon termination of employment.

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.



 

 

Qualifications

The work of this position is classified in the 0401, 0819, and 1301 series. Applicants must have experience managing, supervising, leading, and/or performing professional work related to biology, agriculture, natural resource management, or physical sciences; or professional engineering work related to environmental programs and projects. All applicants must have one year of specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that demonstrates the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform in this role. Typically, this experience can be found in work within this field or a field that is closely related.

All applicants must have one year of specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that demonstrates the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform in this role. Typically this experience can be found in work within this field or a field that is closely related.

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service, applicants must also provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below.

A. Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) - Mandatory for competitive applicants - Failure to address these factors will result in your application being disqualified, unless you are a noncompetitive eligible applicant. 

ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE. Involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. 
ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE. Involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. 
ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN. Involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. 
ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN. Involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS. Involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Your responses should be clear and concise and show a level of accomplishment and a degree of responsibility. Leadership competencies for each ECQ can be found at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf 

B. Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Mandatory for all applicants - Failure to address these factors will result in your application being disqualified.

TQ 1 - Demonstrated experience developing long-range plans and research directions including resources needed and fiscal issues relating to sustainable and healthy community programs.

TQ 2 - Demonstrated expertise in one or more technical fields related to sustainable and healthy communities research, accompanied by broad knowledge across related scientific disciplines.

Education

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

Biology:
You must have a bachelor's or higher 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.

Engineering:

All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for consideration for an engineering position:

  • Successful completion of a professional engineering degree at an accredited university or college

OR

  • Have a combination of college level education or training AND technical experience that has furnished you with (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.  The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
  1. Professional registration as an engineer.
  2. Evidence of passing the Engineer-in-Training written test.
  3. Successful documented completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences as described by OPM.
  4. Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field and at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

Please review the OPM page on specifics about required curriculum and for more information on qualifications, please visit GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications.

Physical Science:
You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics; OR a combination of education and experience with education equivalent to one of the majors listed that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Additional information

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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.

We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be evaluated based on your narrative statements addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs). It will then be forwarded to a three member Rating Panel consisting of SES members for further review. The Rating Panel will decide which Best Qualified applicants will be issued to the Selecting Official by the Human Resources Office.


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Required Documents

Documents to be submitted online:

NOTE:  You should ensure your social security number, date of birth, and any other personal information are redacted.

-- Resume clearly stating your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section.  In describing your experience, you need to be clear and specific.  We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.  

-- College transcripts - required to submit either unofficial transcripts or a list of courses that includes school(s) attended, school address, course title, grades earned, completion dates, department, and quarter or semester hours earned.  NOTE:  Official educational transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if you are selected, you must provide official transcripts before you start work with EPA.

-- A narrative statement covering each of following:

  • Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) - Required for competitive applicants - Address each of the five factors individually within a limit of ten pages total. Exceeding this limit will result in disqualification of your application. 
  • Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Required for all applicants - Address each listed factor individually within a limit of two pages per factor. Exceeding this limit will result in disqualification of your application. 

Your examples should use the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) model to emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts. Additional information on the proper preparation of ECQ statements and the CCAR model is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf

-- Senior Executive Service (SES) noncompetitive applicants: If you are currently serving under a career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program approved by OPM, proof of SES noncompetitive eligibility must be submitted: 

  • SF-50 showing your status as a:
    • current Career SES appointee,
    • former Career SES appointee with career SES reinstatement eligibility, or
    • current or reinstatement eligible Career SES-equivalent executive who is/was employed in a Federal government agency that has an interchange agreement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) allowing for movement between the agency’s SES-equivalent personnel system and the SES; OR
  • A certificate of completion from an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP). This applies only if your ECQs have been approved by an OPM Qualifications Review Board through the SES CDP.

You are not required to submit a narrative statement addressing the ECQs, but are encouraged to do so.

To learn more about submitting documentation, visit Uploading Documents to USAJOBS.



If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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How to Apply

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Agency contact information

Kyle Barja

Phone

919-541-2477

Fax

919-541-2186

Email

barja.kyle@epa.gov

Address

Environmental Protection Agency
US Environmental Protection Agency
Human Resources Management Division
109 T.W. Alexander Drive, MD-C639-02
Research Triangle Pk, North Carolina 27711
United States
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Next steps

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This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/579783300. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.