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Emergency Management Specialist

Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary of the Interior
Office of Emergency Management, Preparedness & Response Division

Summary

The Department of the Interior is devoted to protecting and preserving the natural resources of this great nation, including National Parks, Landmarks, and the well-being of communities, including those of Native American, Alaska Natives and affiliated Islanders.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/13/2026 to 03/20/2026
Salary
$57,736 to - $91,815 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OS-6052-26-RU-021(MP)
Control number
861024000

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of the Secretary (OS), Office of the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management, & Budget (AS-PMB), Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Preparedness & Response Division, Washington, DC.

At the full performance level GS-11 the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Response Planning: Provides assistance and performs substantive work in emergency planning and preparedness to ensure a comprehensive approach to emergency management across the Department. Provides guidance and policy interpretation to bureaus and offices and integrates planning and response activities.
2. Emergency Management: Participates regularly in efforts to exercise, validate, and execute emergency management capabilities, procedures, and functions. Provides or coordinates emergency response and preparedness training, exercises, and assistance. Plans, coordinates, or directs execution and provides consolidated regionalized feedback on exercises in accordance with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).
3. Regulations and Guidance: Supports emergency response policy issues, provides technical advice and guidance to professional staff in DOI, and leads advisory activities as directed by superiors. Utilizes knowledge of the statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures relevant to emergency response capability at all levels of government to conduct analyses of complex legal and policy issues.
4. Project Management: Supports portions of Departmental response projects. Assists with the efficient and effective execution of all phases of assigned portions of major projects.
5. Continuity Planning: Analyzes, reviews, and implements activities supporting continuity of operations planning.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

This position is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to and must pass a pre-employment and subsequent random drug screenings.

You will be subject to background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.

You will be designated as an Emergency Employee and subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations or may be required to remain at work during dismissal or closure situations. Emergency Employees are expected to remain in contact with their agencies at all times during emergency situations.

Your position is expected to be assigned to one or more emergency management team rosters to be activated during disaster operations and participate with the team in exercises.

A valid State driver's license is required.

OS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for situational/ad-hoc telework only.


Salary Information:

GS-09: $70,623 to $91,815*

GS-07: $57,736 to $75,059*

*First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
  3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To qualify for the GS-09 position, you must meet either A, B, or C below for the series/grade to which you are applying.

(A) Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience (must meet 2 of 3):

1) Analyzing critical, time-sensitive information regarding emergency management plans and policies;
2) Applying emergency management procedures while working in an organization;
3) Utilizing accepted emergency management systems such as: NIMS (National Incident Management System), ICS (Incident Command System), and/or NRF (National Response Framework).

Note: If qualifying in whole on specialized experience, applicants must meet two of three statements defined above and clearly written in your resume.

-OR-

(B) Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of an Emergency Management Specialist.

-OR-

(C) Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education beyond the first-year graduate study. (Example: 1.5 years in a Master's program (50%) plus 6 months of specialized experience (50%) = 100%)

Note: Only progressively higher-level graduate education is creditable. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Only graduate education beyond the first 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours can be combined with GS-07 level experience to qualify for a GS-09 level position.

To qualify for the GS-07 position, you must meet either A, B, or C below for the series/grade to which you are applying.

(A) Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-07, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience (must meet 2 of 3):

1) Reviewing critical, time-sensitive information regarding emergency management plans and policies;
2) Applying emergency management procedures while working in an organization;
3) Utilizing accepted emergency management systems such as: NIMS (National Incident Management System), ICS (Incident Command System), and/or NRF (National Response Framework).

Note: If qualifying in whole on specialized experience, applicants must meet two of three statements defined above and clearly written in your resume.

-OR-

(B) Education: One (1) full year of graduate level education or Superior Academic Achievement (SAA)*. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of an Emergency Management Specialist.

*S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.(1) Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.(2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.(3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

-OR-

(C) Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience and graduate education. (Example: 0.5 year in a master's program (50%) plus 6 months of specialized experience (50%) = 100%)

Note: Only progressively higher-level graduate education is creditable. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Only graduate education of at least 9 semester (or 14 quarter hours) can be combined with GS-05 level experience to qualify for a GS-07 level position.


Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period (as applicable) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.
A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office.

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.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

A Structured Resume Review will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

1. Incident Management - Knowledge of the tactics, technologies, principles, and processes to protect, analyze, prioritize, and handle incidents.

2. Emergency Management - Ability to apply principles, practices, policies and regulations, and use this knowledge to develop new approaches, or procedures to plan for, coordinate, and manage emergency management programs, response activities and Devolution planning (activities activated outside of normal COOP site and ancillary activities regarding secure communications capabilities).

3. Information Management - Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems.

DUE WEIGHT
Due Weight Consideration is a review process used to provide consideration to performance appraisals and awards submitted with each application on a used merit promotion certificate and factoring the results into the merit promotion selection process.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

It is your responsibility to obtain and upload your performance appraisal/evaluation and/or list of awards prior to the closing of the vacancy announcement.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900794

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