Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Biologist/General Engineer/Physical Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in the Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER).

If selected, you must work at the location stated in this announcement.

About the Office of Research and Development.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/03/2022 to 06/24/2022
Salary
$82,601 to - $107,385 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Cincinnati, OH
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
RTP-NF-ODH-2022-0020
Control number
658031900

Duties

Help

At the entry level of this position, you will:

- Design, develop, and implement an outreach strategy to engage and grow relationships with local K-12 and university Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) leaders that includes but is not limited to facility tours, internship/mentorship programs, and science related events/celebrations at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cincinnati and community wide;

- Coordinate, facilitate, and prepare EPA scientists and engineers to work and engage with students in the local K-12 community and participate in internal and external internship/mentorship programs;

- Serve on agency and ORD committees and panels regarding STEM functions and issues while professionally representing CESER and EPA in Cincinnati;

- Develop and create STEM program briefing materials, reports, and performance metrics for CESER senior management;

- Serve as a contracting officer representative to develop and administer grants or contracts to support the program.

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.

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations).

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

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
  • You may be required to travel less than 25% of each month.

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.

 #LI-Onsite

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

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-12 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as participating in the design and development of a community wide outreach, internship, or education program that is scientific in nature; and working with K-12 or college level STEM educators or administrators in the community.

Your application package will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Skill in building and maintaining professional relationships; 2) Ability to ascertain and have dialogue about ORD science programs as well as current and proposed ORD research; 3) Knowledge of the state, regional, and local STEM community; 4) Skill in oral communication; 5) Skill in written communication; 6) Ability to utilize traditional and/or social media to promote and disseminate information about ORD information and environmental programs; 7) Ability to translate technical scientific information into plain language.

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.

Biologist: 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.

Engineer: 

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 Scientist: 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.

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

Additional information

This position is in the bargaining unit.

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.

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.

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.

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.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.