Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

At the entry level of this position, you will:

• Serve as a point of contact for other programs within EPA, states, tribes, other federal agencies and members of public on a wide variety of both scientific and technical matters related to implementation of sections 303(c), 303(d), 305(b), 319, 401 and 404 of the Clean Water.
• Integrate knowledge of biological science, research and analysis, data management and state, tribal and federal law, regulation, policy and guidance, to perform complex and detailed analyses to evaluate issues and develop recommendations to serve the purposes of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
• Perform program administration work, or environmental liaison work, in order to accomplish the assigned environmental management and protection duties. The incumbent may serve as technical contact on state or tribal grants or contracts.
• Provide advice and assistance to federal, state, local and/or tribal partners on matters relating to the development, execution, and monitoring of adequate environmental protection policies, plans, and programs so that the requirements of the CWA and federal regulations are met.

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.

Conditions of employment

• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
• EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
• You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You may have limited exposure to hazardous materials.

You will be required to obtain (before coming on board) and maintain a valid driver’s license and must be able to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.

This position is designated as Moderate 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.  All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

Qualifications

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-11 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as experience with water quality and wetlands management programs under the Clean Water Act, such as monitoring and assessment, CWA Section 404 regulation, wetlands restoration and protection, compensatory mitigation assessment and management, evaluation of adverse impacts to wetlands and other aquatic resources, and coordination with state, federal, local and tribal entities 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 OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Your application package will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of a wide range of general scientific principles and methods applicable to varied and complex problems, projects or studies that include diverse scientific or other environmental conditions; and varying scientific processes.
2. Knowledge of water program and activities as established by one or more of the following sections of the Clean Water Act: 303, 305, 319, 401 and 404.
3. Knowledge of Federal, State, Tribal and local laws and regulations, documentation and reporting requirements, and lawmaking or rule making processes sufficient to make decisions or recommendations significantly changing, interpreting, or expanding important agency/national policies and programs.
4. Knowledge of environmental programs and policies.

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.

If you have part-time work experience, read this:  EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

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.  All eligible applicants will be forwarded to the selecting official for further consideration, and you may be subject to assessments during the selection process.  If you are selected, we will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the qualification requirements.