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Environmental Protection Specialist

Department of Energy
Bonneville Power Administration

Summary

This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration, in the Environmental Compliance Fish and Wildlife (ECF) or Environmental Compliance Transmission (ECT), Environmental Planning and Analysis (EC) organization of Environment, Fish, and Wildlife (E).


A successful candidate in the Environmental Protection Specialist position will serve as a lead contact for complex or sensitive environmental matters internally and with external agencies, governments, tribes, and the public.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/16/2026 to 01/25/2026
Salary
$114,684 to - $149,091 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Portland, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
26-BPA-49292-12862540-DOE
Control number
854771200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to active Department of Energy employees with competitive status, currently on a career or career-conditional appointment.

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Duties

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As an Environmental Protection Specialist, you will:

  • Serve as an expert Environmental Protection Specialist responsible for ensuring timely preparation and the adequacy, accuracy, and consistency of environmental analyses and related decision documents, such as Environmental Assessments/Findings of No Significant Impact and Environmental Impact Statements/Records of Decision for complex, novel, and/or controversial agency proposals.
  • Serve as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for contracts and prepares scopes of work and monitors contracts for compliance.
  • Project Manager responsible for the overall management, control, coordination, and execution of new policies and procedures and program administration.
  • Provide technical advice on environmental policies, statues, laws, standards, directives, and regulations.
  • Ensure consistency with various laws, regulations, Executive Orders and guidelines related to the protection of natural, environmental, cultural, and social resources (e.g. National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act; the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and so forth).
  • Develop and maintain productive working relationship with various groups/Individuals (e.g., Federal/State Environmental Protections Agencies, Indian Tribes, local/municipal governments, contractors, etc.) internal/external to Bonneville to perform their function.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.

When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically. You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully.

Key Requirements:

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
  • You will be required to report in person to the official duty location.
Conditions of Employment:
  • This position requires a valid driver's license as a condition of employment.
  • After employment, this position may be subject to periodic physical examinations, as prescribed by competent medical authority and at BPA expense, if exposed to health hazards.
  • May be required to serve as Contracting Officers Representative for BPA grants and agreements; this duty includes additional training and certification.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

A qualified candidate's resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as: 1) Serving as a technical expert on federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, policies and procedures (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act; Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, etc.) providing advice to both internal and external stakeholders; 2) Leading the analysis of a program or project's impact on the transmission system or fish and wildlife mitigation program recommending mitigation or enhancement measures; AND 3) Collaborating with multiple stakeholders in the development of environment assessments, impact statements, and other technical documents.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration.

CTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

There are no specific education requirements or substitution of education for experience for this position.

Additional information

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE
EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Equal employment opportunity policy
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy

Reasonable Accommodation for USAHire: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
Veterans Information: USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans
Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Telework: https://www.opm.gov/telework/
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ - Who must register: https://www.sss.gov/faq/#who-needs-to-register

Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.

BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment.

We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.?

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements above. Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review your two-page resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

Selection will be based on skills and competencies, not educational credentials or self-reported experience.

Merit Promotion & VEOA Procedures: If you are minimally qualified for this job, your will be assessed and evaluated to determine if you are a best qualified candidate. Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (01/25/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12862540


USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

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