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Life Scientist/Environmental Engineer/Physical Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in Region 8, Superfund & Emergency Management Division, Superfund Remedial Branch.  If selected, you must work at the location stated in this announcement.  About Region 8: Region 8

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/19/2022 to 04/25/2022
Salary
$44,740 to - $78,432 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Locations
MANY vacancies in the following locations:
Denver, CO
Helena, MT
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel 25% of each month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CIN-X8-DE-2022-0009
Control number
649433500

Duties

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At the entry level of this position, you will:

- Determine appropriate cleanup actions, methods and tools for toxic and hazardous waste sites and recommend to senior (Remedial Project Manager) RPM or supervisor the most cost-effective solutions.

- Oversee and monitor contractual work efforts in routine cases where EPA must assume the cleanup duties to assure that federal funds are properly expended and that contractors are utilized effectively and efficiently. 

- Monitor cleanup efforts for well-established site situations that involve toxic and hazardous waste cleanup.

- Participate in enforcement activities. 

- Perform community relations activities.

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.  NOTE:  Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.

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

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
  • You may have limited exposure to hazardous materials.
  • You will be required to lift items weighing up to 50 pounds.
  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

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.

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.

Participation in the medical monitoring program is required.

 #LI-Onsite

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.

This position requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

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-07 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-05 level defined as participating and/or assisting in environmental cleanup efforts at sites
- OR 1 full year of graduate level education; or superior academic achievement (Superior Academic Achievement Definition) degree in the academic discipline as described below
- OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

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 participating in cleanup efforts at sites involving toxic and/or hazardous waste
- 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
- OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:  

1. Knowledge of federal, state and local environmental regulations

2. Skill in evaluating hazardous waste site cleanup techniques and technologies

3. Knowledge of contract management procedures

4. Skill in collecting and reviewing factual information, and using basic analytical and evaluative methods to assess data

5. Skill in written communication

6. Knowledge of basic techniques for hazardous waste site investigations

7. Ability to conduct or assist in site characterization studies

8. Ability to establish goals and assess progress toward their achievement

9. Skill in oral communication

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.

Education

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

A bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in:

0401 - General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series:

A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. -OR-

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

0800 - Engineering Series:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. -OR-

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying 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 or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
  2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
  3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
  4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

1301 - General Physical Science Series:

A. Degree: 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-

B. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Additional information

Are you a Displaced Federal Employee?  If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA.

EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information:  EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

ACCELERATED PROMOTION PROGRAM

If you are selected as an entry-level Engineer (GS-05, GS-07, or GS-09), you will be placed on an approved training agreement to intensify your development in order to prepare you for the next higher grade level on an accelerated basis (six months or more). After successful completion of the training program, you would be eligible for promotion to the next higher grade level.

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

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 online assessment. Your responses to the online 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 ‘Best Qualified’, ‘Well Qualified’, or ‘Qualified’ category. NOTE:  Preference eligible veterans must be selected, or decline further consideration, before applicants who are ineligible for veterans’ preference can be selected (to learn more, visit Veterans' Preference).

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. If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments.

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


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