Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Environmental Engineer/ Life Scientist/ Physical Scientist

Environmental Protection Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are in Region 4, Superfund and Emergency Management Division, Federal Facilities or Restoration and Site Evaluation Branches. About EPA Region 4

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

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/25/2024 to 12/03/2024
Salary
$51,807 to - $82,379 per year

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

Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Location
5 vacancies in the following location:
Atlanta, GA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—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
50% 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
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
EPA-T4-DE-2025-0003
Control number
820838300

This job is open to

Help

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Videos

Duties

Help

At the entry level of this position, you will:

  • Participate in cleanup actions for toxic and hazardous waste sites.
  • Assist Senior RPM to oversee and monitor contractual work.
  • Participate in monitoring cleanup efforts.
  • Participate in enforcement activities.
  • Participate in community relations activities.

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

Help

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.
  • Pre-employment physical may be required and periodic physicals thereafter.
  • You may have limited exposure to hazardous materials.
  • You will be required to lift items weighing up to 50 pounds.
  • 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.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

Participation in the medical monitoring program is required.

You will be required to obtain (before coming on board) and maintain a valid driver’s license and must be able to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle.

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

You will be required to meet ongoing specialized safety training requirements in order to meet field safety standards.

#LI-DNI

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-07 level, you must have one of the following:

  • 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level defined as participating and/or assisting in environmental cleanup efforts at sites.
  • 1 year of graduate-level education; or superior academic achievement (Superior Academic Achievement Definition); 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

To qualify for the GS-09 level, you must have one of the following:

  • 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level defined as participating in cleanup efforts at sites involving toxic and/or hazardous waste.
  • 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master’s degree; or master’s or equivalent graduate 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

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 

  • Ability to read, understand and apply a variety of environmental statutes and regulations.
  • Ability to learn hazardous waste site cleanup techniques and technologies.
  • Ability to learn contract management procedures.
  • Skill in collecting and reviewing information and using basic analytical and evaluative methods to assess data.
  • Skill in written communication.
  • Ability to perform developmental assignments related to site characterization.
  • Ability to establish goals and assess progress toward their achievement.
  • 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

Life Scientist: 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.

Environmental Engineer: You must have one of the following:

  • 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

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 on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures
NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must fall into the Well Qualified category or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section).

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.

After the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements.

If we determine you are eligible/qualified, you will be further assessed based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire you completed as part of your online application. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your questionnaire responses; if you rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. After your responses are evaluated, a score will be calculated, and you will be placed into the Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified category using the category rating method. As a result of this assessment process, your category assignment will reflect the degree to which your background matches the competencies required for successful performance in this position (see the Qualifications section for a list of the competencies being evaluated).

Veterans’ preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Qualified preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed at the top of the highest category (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). All other preference eligibles are placed above non-preference eligibles within their assigned category.
NOTE: Applicants who are referred to the selecting official for consideration and are entitled to veterans’ preference in the hiring process must be selected, or decline further consideration, before applicants who are ineligible for veterans’ preference can be selected (to learn more, visit Veterans' Preference).

If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments by the selecting official (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.).


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.