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Environmental Protection Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Environmental Compliance Division - Atlantic Section

Summary

The Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement. For information about our bureau go to: http://www.bsee.gov/

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this month · Apply by 06/30/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 30, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$120,094 - $158,322 per year

First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
BSEE-EEJJ-26-KS-020(MP)
Control number
873148700

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Environmental Compliance Division, Atlantic Section, in either Sterling, Virginia or Hadley, Massachusetts.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Reviews and interprets environmental laws, regulations, lease stipulations, and plan/permit submissions for OCS energy activities. Develops and integrates environmental protection processes, safety management systems, inspections, investigations, decommissioning oversight, and reporting structures within the BSEE Environmental Compliance Division's Atlantic Section.
  2. Collaborates with BOEM and other federal agencies and bureaus on environmental reviews, NEPA documents, consultations(ESA, EFH, ESA), lease stipulations, regulatory development, and compliance communications. Provides authoritative recommendations, data analysis, and technical evaluations to support regulatory actions, guidance development, and oversight of lessee submissions, NTLs, NONCs, and decommissioning review
  3. Conducts environmental compliance reviews for BSEE ECD Atlantic Section OCS energy projects, analyzes incident and debris reports, evaluates lessee environmental management practices, and supports investigations and enforcement actions in accordance with BSEE Environmental Compliance Division policies and in support of strategic goals. Works on and in support of strategic initiatives; and prepares internal and external communications and responses to data calls. Develops prepared materials to include presentations and briefing documents as needed.
  4. Serves as BSEE's liaison on OCS energy environmental protection issues with federal and state partners, Tribes, industry, and other stakeholders. Participates in task forces and workgroups, maintains awareness of emerging OCS energy developments, evaluates alternatives to inform program Maintains and analyzes Atlantic OCS energy performance, incident, and compliance reporting databases; develops and monitors corrective actions; and provides recommendations that inform BSEE OCS energy policy, program options, and responses to Departmental or Congressional inquiries.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has determined that the duties of this position is suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

Salary Range Information (Per Annum): *First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

Sterling, Virginia Salary Rate Range:
GS-13:
$121,785.00 to $158,322.00

Hadley, Massachusetts Salary Rate Range:
GS-13:
$120,094.00 to $156,124.00

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

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  1. Must be a current employee of the Department of Interior (DOI).
  2. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  3. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
  4. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  5. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  6. 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/.
  7. Time-in-grade requirement - Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for this position you must meet the Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Specialized Experience
To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 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 in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

1. review offshore (or onshore) energy projects and plans or related environmental compliance submissions, identifying deficiencies to prepare written recommendations to ensure adherence to Federal environmental laws, Executive Orders, and Bureau regulations.
2. analyze impact-producing factors associated with offshore (or onshore) energy activities to draft or evaluate mitigation strategies/monitoring approaches to assess compliance with established environmental requirements.
3. coordinate multidisciplinary teams or workgroups that address environmental management issues, including facilitating discussions among Federal/State agencies, industry, and public stakeholders to resolve issues or policy recommendations.

Must meet all.

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

There is no educational requirement for this position.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 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: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/articles/29112781465108-Reasonable-Accommodation-Overview

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

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.

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.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Flexibility

Influencing/Negotiating

Integrity/Honesty

Interpersonal Skills

Self-Management

Stress Tolerance

Teamwork

Reading Comprehension

Reasoning


In order 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.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

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 application click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12986442

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

The Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.

Agency contact information

Kelly Souza
Email
kelly_souza@ios.doi.gov
Address
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, VA 20166
US

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