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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST

Department of Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Places to Work" in the Federal government! This ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST position is located in the Office of Energy Projects. For more information visit: Office of Energy Projects (OEP) | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/16/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 16, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
14
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 up to 10% for this position to include consecutive overnight stays to attend meetings, site visits, conferences, and training.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
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
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
FERC-OEP-MPF-26-12994594
Control number
876079000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current agency employees in the competitive service only.

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Duties

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This position is available in the Division of Hydropower Licensing in the Office of Energy Projects.

As an ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST some of your typical work assignments include:

  • Directing the identification and evaluation of complex or unusual environmental issues that could establish major policies or significantly modify existing policies or procedures.

  • Serving as the Contracting Officer's representative (COR) for the Commission's hydropower program to include preliminary permits, hydropower licenses and exemptions, and other related hydropower items requiring contracting support.

  • Serving as a team leader of multidisciplinary teams assigned to prepare staff environmental documents (including NEPA documents) and license and other orders.

  • Providing expert technical advice and guidance and acts as a mentor to less experienced and less knowledgeable staff on environmental and/or engineering issues associated with environmentally acceptable and technically sound design and operation of hydropower facilities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • You must provide your SF-50 (see Required Documents section).
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • A background investigation is required.
  • This is a bargaining unit position (AFG Local 421).
  • Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.

Qualifications

You must meet the qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

To view the eligibility and qualification requirements of an ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST, GS-0028, please visit: Environmental Protection Specialist, 0028 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

You must have one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 level. Specialized experience is defined as: Analyzing complex environmental or engineering resource issues, and leading interdisciplinary teams in preparing Integrated Licensing Process (ILP) Study Plan Determinations, Environmental Assessments (EA) or Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), and draft license orders.

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 any volunteer experience.

Please do not cut and paste the "Duties" section, specialized experience statement, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

There is no education requirement for this position; therefore, transcripts are not required.

Additional information

The duty location of this position is Washington, DC.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
  • Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
  • Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for the position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Critical Thinking
  • Environmental Regulatory Analysis
  • Influencing

The online assessment is used to evaluate your relevant experience in relation to the required competencies for this position.

If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the vacancy questionnaire. Your rating may be lowered if your responses are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your resume. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the selecting official.

You may be required to participate in a selection interview. If you are invited for an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance evaluation.

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

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12994594

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects.

Our Mission: Economically Efficient, Safe, Reliable, and Secure Energy for Consumers. For more information visit: https://www.ferc.gov/.

Agency contact information

Nancy Queen
Phone
202-502-6016
Email
Nancy.Queen@ferc.gov
Address
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First St NE
Washington, DC 20426
US

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