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Life Scientist/Physical Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in Region 10, Air & Radiation Division, Air Planning & State/Tribal Coordination Branch. About Region 10: Region 10

This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to one of the duty stations stated in this announcement on a regular basis (location TBD after candidate selected). Partial work-from-home flexibilities may be authorized.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
01/31/2023 to 02/06/2023
Salary
$69,107 to - $121,378 per year

Salary will be based on the grade level and duty location for which you are selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
FEW vacancies in the following locations:
Anchorage, AK
Boise, ID
Portland, OR
Lacey, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel up to 25% of each month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CIN-ZX-ODH-2023-0012
Control number
703121400

Duties

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At the entry level of this position, you will:

- Plan, develop, and implement the air monitoring program in Region 10 by working with state, local and tribal air agencies to ensure that their monitoring networks meet all federal requirements.

- Review financial agreements, including grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and interagency agreements, activities related to the initiation, administration, and/or close-out of more complex or difficult financial agreements, including responsibility for monitoring performance.

- Provide air monitoring related technical assistance and advice on the operation of state, local and tribal agencies' ambient air monitoring networks and programs within Region 10, data analysis, analytical methods, sampling techniques, special studies and impacts of pollutants, etc. as needed to support the needs of internal and external stakeholders.

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

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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
  • You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen.

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

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 working knowledge of federal, state, local or tribal air quality regulations and air monitoring programs.

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.

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 working knowledge of federal, state, local or tribal air quality regulations. Experience implementing air monitoring programs.

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

1. Knowledge of professional physical science and/or life science concepts, principles, and practices to prepare review comments on requests for approval of revisions to air monitoring networks and analysis of air monitoring data to support, and ensure compliance with, the Agency goals and objectives.
2. Knowledge of applicable federal environmental statutes, regulations, and policies.
3. Knowledge of federal grants, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements regulations, policies and procedures, sufficient to manage a variety of complex and difficult grants and cooperative agreements.

4. Ability to manage multiple complex projects, establish goals and assess progress toward their achievement, and adjust work operations and program objectives to meet targets.
5. Ability to utilize software programs to assist in data management and analysis, and for summarizing large amounts of information.
6. Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), cost control procedures regarding contractual assistance, contract management, and cost accounting record keeping and procedures.
7. Skill in oral communication to provide technical/scientific information.
8. Skill in written communication to prepare documents and reports.

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.

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

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 above.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

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.

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 (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.). If you are selected, we will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the qualification requirements.


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