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Director, Groundwater Characterization and Remediation Division

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed
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Summary

This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is located in the Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Groundwater Characterization and Remediation Division.

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

About ORD: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-research-and-development-ord

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Overview

  • Hiring complete
  • Open & closing dates

    12/13/2022 to 01/27/2023

  • Salary

    $176,301 - $203,700 per year

  • Pay scale & grade

    ES 00

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    Location

    1 vacancy in the following location:

  • Remote job

    No

  • Telework eligible

    Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

  • Relocation expenses reimbursed

    Yes—If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid by EPA according to applicable rules. You can read more about these expenses on this website: http://www.relocatefeds.gov/

  • Appointment type

    Permanent

  • Work schedule

    Full-time

  • Service

    Senior Executive

  • Promotion potential

    00

  • Job family (Series)

    0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences

    1301 General Physical Science

    0801 General Engineering

  • Supervisory status

    Yes

  • Security clearance

    Not Required

  • Drug test

    No

  • Announcement number

    RTP-SES-2023-0002

  • Control number

    694253200

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Duties

The Office of Research and Development (ORD) provides the Agency programs with scientific and technical information, research products, and assistance so that management decisions are sound and the Agency goals are met. The Groundwater Characterization and Remediation Division conducts an applied, national-scale, customer-driven research program to provide data, tools, models, strategies, and technologies to protect and restore groundwater.

Specific responsibilities of the Division include:

  • Planning, coordinating, and conducting studies of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that control the transport and transformation of water, chemicals, and/or microorganisms of known or emerging concern in subsurface environments. 
  • Providing research and outreach for applied site-specific studies to determine the effects of management practices on pollutant removal or pollution avoidance.

Specific duties of the Division Director include:

  • Influencing, planning, organizing, directing, and implementing several major national research, development, and demonstration programs for which they are assigned Agency-wide responsibility.
  • Providing professional, scientific, and technical leadership and participation, in scientific research, technology and strategic science directions within EPA.
  • Managing the day-to-day operations of the Division facility.
  • Assessing needs, defining goals, developing program plans, establishing the organizational structure of the Division, delegating authority and responsibility, establishing overall Division operating policies, priorities, and procedures, and developing long- and short-range projects.
  • Allocating dollar and human capital resources within broad budgetary limitations, and establishing optimum intramural vs. extramural (contract and grant effort) balance.
  • Directing, coordinating and reviewing all Division conducted or directed activities; reviewing and evaluating progress and performance of these activities and taking independent corrective actions as necessary.

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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).
  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
  • 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.

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. 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.

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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.

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 individually 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 individually will result in your application being disqualified.

TQ 1 - Demonstrated experience in leading a scientific or research organization including developing a scientific/research portfolio, engaging with the portfolio’s stakeholders, and managing resources (fiscal, human, facilities).

TQ 2 - Demonstrated experience applying expert knowledge in chemistry, biology, and geoscience disciplines to support decisions aimed at protecting or remediating groundwater.

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 application 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 (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf)

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.

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

Additional information

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.

Veterans’ preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.

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.

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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.  IF EDUCATION WAS COMPLETED AT A FOREIGN INSTITUTION:  You must submit an equivalency evaluation with your application as described here:  EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

-- 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

You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.

You must provide specific examples of your education, experience, training and awards in the manner and order instructed below which are applicable to each Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) and Technical Qualification (TQ). Response to the five ECQs and TQs is mandatory. Failure to address the ECQs and TQs will result in your application being disqualified. 

To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the top right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register, submit all required documents, and complete the assessment questionnaire. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.

All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature.

If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than three business days prior to the closing date of this announcement.  You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.

For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

EPA provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.  Decisions for granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.

  • If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than three business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.
  • If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, you should notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official’s office.
  • If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.

The National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed.  For more information, see Reasonable Accommodation.

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Agency contact information

Claire Worley
Phone
919-541-0892
Email
worley.claire@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

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement from USAJOBS that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line application, resume, responses to the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs), and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package.

If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be evaluated based on your narrative statements addressing the ECQs and 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. Interviews are arranged through the Selecting Official. 

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This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/694253200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.