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Environmental Engineer / Physical Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are in the Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Transportation and Climate Division, Climate Analysis and Strategies Branch.

About OAR: OAR

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).
*Work-from-home flexibilities may be authorized as described in the Benefits section.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/17/2023 to 12/04/2023
Salary
$76,148 to - $102,166 per year

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

Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Washington, DC
Ann Arbor, MI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be required to travel for this position.
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
EPA-LA-ODH-2024-0002
Control number
761511900

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Duties

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This announcement has been amended to extend the Open Period from 11/17/2023 - 12/04/2023

At the entry level of this position, you will:

- Analyze a variety of air quality issues to support a range of regulatory and nonregulatory activities to reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions in the transportation sector;

- Contribute to climate and transportation briefings, policies, summaries, guidance, and program development;

- Carry out projects requiring cross-team interaction within the division, Office, and Agency that relate to mobile source programs;

- Represent the Agency at workshops and conferences, seek opportunities to establish partnerships and coalitions, and coordinate with stakeholders, other government agencies, and other interested parties;

- Serve as work assignment manager as needed for contracts to support Program Support Staff efforts.

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.

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

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.



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.

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.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.

#LI-Onsite

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

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 analyzing technology, fuel, behavioral, and/or transportation system approaches to reduce emissions from the transportation sector; and preparing scientific/technical materials or presentations for internal and/or external stakeholders;
- 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.

Your application package will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Knowledge of concepts, principles,
practices, and/or methodologies related to transportation sector emissions from vehicles and other mobile source equipment; 2) Ability to analyze techniques and methods to support transportation policy/regulation/guidance development; 3) Ability to identify problems to recommend courses of action; 4) Skill in oral communication; 5) Skill in written communication sufficient to produce scientific papers for technical and not-technical audiences; and 6) Ability to work in multi-organizational groups to carry out projects requiring cross-team interaction.

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.

Environmental 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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

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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