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Physical Scientist/General Engineer

Environmental Protection Agency
EPA
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is in Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Sector Policies and Programs Division, Energy Strategies Group

OAR: About the Office of Air and Radiation | US EPA

This is an office-centered position*--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.
*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
10/30/2024 to 11/05/2024
Salary
$75,708 - $117,963 per year

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

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Durham, NC
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
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
EPA-LA-ODH-2025-0002
Control number
816437700

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Duties

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At the entry level of this position, you will:

  • Support the development of air pollution control strategies and regulations to reduce air emissions from the power and energy sector.
  • Collect, review and analyze air emissions data to assist in the development of models and algorithms to predict air emissions and air emissions reductions.
  • Assess and estimate costs of air pollution control equipment and strategies.
  • Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to study and evaluate alternative control measures and control program designs. 

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

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

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 basic entry education requirements, you must have specialized experience and/or directly related education as described below:

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have one of the following:

  • 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level defined as collecting and analyzing datasets or information; and applying scientific or engineering concepts to industry sector processes.
  • 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree; or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position
  • 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 must have 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level defined as collecting, analyzing, and utilizing datasets or information both qualitatively and quantitatively; applying scientific or engineering concepts to industry sector processes; and managing projects or work processes.

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

  • Knowledge of air pollution laws, policies, and regulations.
  • Knowledge of industrial sectors (e.g. power plants, boilers, and engines).
  • Ability to apply scientific or engineering concepts to industry sector processes.
  • Ability to adapt measurement methods for air emissions characterization.
  • Skill in data or information analysis utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Skill in written communication.
  • Skill in oral communication.

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.

Physical Scientist: 

You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following:  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.

General 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-

  • 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.

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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Agency contact information

Ray Purnell
Phone
513-569-7430
Email
purnell.rayfield@epa.gov
Address
Environmental Protection Agency
OMS/OHCO/RCD
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
WJC Bldg North, Mail Code 1448K
Washington, District of Columbia 20460
United States

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