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Life Scientist/Physical Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in Region 8, Water Division, Clean Water Branch, Watershed Section. About region 8: region 8

This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. Partial work-from-home flexibilities may be authorized.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/24/2023 to 05/31/2023
Salary
$98,496 to - $141,836 per year

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

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Denver, CO
Helena, MT
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
Yes—A relocation or recruitment incentive may be offered to the selected candidate if applicable criteria are met.  If you are selected and accept a relocation or recruitment incentive, you must sign/date a written service agreement in which you commit to complete a specified period of employment with the agency (for a relocation incentive, specified period of employment must be at the new duty station).  NOTE:  A relocation incentive is not full reimbursement of all relocation expenses.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CIN-X8-ODH-2023-0012
Control number
727445600

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Duties

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You will:

  1. Provide expert level of knowledge to states, tribes and other federal agencies in development of wetlands protection and mitigation/restoration policy and technical approaches to ensure that wetland programs and activities comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
  2. Use advanced analytical methods and techniques in researching and examining a range of scientific, engineering, legal, environmental protection, environmental management or related administrative issues and functions related to wetlands protection and restoration.
  3. Serve as a technical specialist for the organization to formulate and apply advanced concepts, principles, policies and science related to advance wetlands and aquatic resource protection and mitigation/restoration.
  4. Define approaches for, builds and evaluate State and Tribal capacity in wetland protection and restoration programs, including monitoring and assessment and technical and administrative management of Wetlands Program Development Grants.
  5. Review and evaluate US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) jurisdictional determinations and CWA Section 404 permit applications and preparation of related assessment documents to support program needs.

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

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

#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-13 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-12 level defined as reviewing and/or evaluating CWA Section 404 permit applications, preparing written assessments and/or monitoring field studies on wetlands and aquatic resources sites.

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

  • Knowledge of Clean Water Act Section 404, 401, and 402 guidance, policy, laws and regulations to evaluate the potential impact of various program implementation scenarios and adequacy.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Knowledge of monitoring, chemistry, hydrology, aquatic biology, limnology, data analysis techniques, data management and wetlands assessment methods.
  • Skill in determining the methods in evaluating and interpreting the results from analyzing wetlands.

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

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 (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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