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Physical Scientist/Life Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in Region 10, Water Division, Permitting, Drinking Water, & Infrastructure Branch, Groundwater & Drinking Water Section. About 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).
*EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/11/2024 to 07/17/2024
Salary
$78,044 to - $126,585 per year

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

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
EPA-ZX-ODH-2024-0011
Control number
799329500

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Duties

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At the entry level of this position, you will:

  • Coordinate and oversee implementation of the Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) Program for drinking water systems regulated by the Region.
  • Coordinate and oversees the compliance and enforcement of the Drinking Water Rules.
  • Serve as rule manager for one or more National Primary Drinking Water Rules.
  • Serve as a Project Officer and/or Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

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.

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

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

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

Qualifications

NOTE:  You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

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 assisting, evaluating, and coordinating drinking water program work to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and drinking water regulations.

- 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.

NOTE: 1 year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study; if that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered an academic year of graduate study.

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 overseeing, implementing, and coordinating drinking water program work to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and drinking water regulations. 

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

  • Knowledge of a wide range of general physical and life scientist principles or studies that may include diverse scientific or other environmental conditions and varying scientific and program processes.
  • Skill to modify standard practices, adapt precedents, and make significant departures from existing approaches and techniques as it relates to ensuring clean safe water.
  • Knowledge of Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, documentation and reporting requirements, and lawmaking or rule making processes to make decisions or recommendations significantly changing. interpreting, or expanding important agency/national water policies and programs.
  • Knowledge of the Safe Drinking Water Act programs and activities.

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

-0401 - Biology: You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in 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.

- 1301 - 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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