Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

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Duties and responsibilities will vary depending on the level of the position, however you will be trained to develop into a full performance GS-11. Various duties may include:

• Serves as a Regulatory Project Manager within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program. Processes permit applications under Section 404 or the Clean Water Act/Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act for projects proposing to impact aquatic resources such as commercial/residential developments, transportation, other infrastructure projects and aquatic resource restoration projects.
• Evaluates permit applications for proposed projects and analyses impacts to public interest factors (PIF) such as environmental, social and economic concerns under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Works directly with applicant's/their consultants to obtain necessary information and to avoid and minimize impacts to aquatic resources.
• Evaluates individual compensatory mitigation proposals to offset losses to aquatic resources resulting from permitted activities.
• Ensures full coordination of permit activities, environmental documentation with other federal, state, local government agencies, special interest groups, adjacent neighbors, applicant (or applicant's representative).
• Ensures compliance with other federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, etc.
• Gathers information and conducts field studies to determine, in most cases, the extent of Corps jurisdiction over aquatic resources such as wetlands, streams, lakes, etc.
• Conducts site inspections to ensure full compliance with the terms and conditions of permit authorizations.
• Investigates alleged unauthorized activities/violations in waters of the US and works with the U.S. EPA to determine courses of action to resolve illegal work.
• Conducts outreach activities to educate the public about the Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act requirements.
• Assists in creating/revising internal and external initiatives to help streamline the Corps permitting processes.
• Responds to email and phone inquiries from the public and agencies regarding jurisdiction, permitting, and other matters.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
• The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states.
• This duties of this position require Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement up to 20% of the time.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education AND experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

This position has a positive education requirement based on the occupational series under which you are applying. Education above the high school level must have been completed in a U.S. college, university, or other educational institution that has been accredited by one of the accrediting agencies or associations recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. Applicants must meet one of the below requirements in order to meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position.

For the basic requirement for Archaeology click here.

For the basic requirement for Biologist click here.

For the basic requirement for Ecologist click here.

For the basic requirement for Physical Scientist click here.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below

GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes evaluating or preparing Regulatory permits, jurisdictional determinations, and monitoring of permit compliance. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR

Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-09 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes applying governing environmental/resource laws that may include the Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act; assisting in the management of environmental permit workload that may include preapplication consultations, evaluation of permit applications, monitoring of permit compliance, and violations and enforcement actions. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-11 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes analyzing regulations and/or laws; providing research results; advising stakeholders on jurisdictional and regulatory guidance; researching chemical, biological and other environmental effects of proposed projects; and reviewing application documents. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.

If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.