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Education Program Specialist (Environmental)

Environmental Protection Agency

Summary

This position is in the Office of the Administrator (AO), Office of External Affairs, Environmental Education and Stewardship Division. About this organization: AO

This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$121,785 - $158,322 per year

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
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
EPA-MPE-AO-27-13087304
Control number
891767100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

-Current federal employee with competitive status; reinstatement eligible; ICTAP/CTAP eligible -Current/former federal employee eligible under misc act/authority/agreement (e.g., land management, postal service, interchange agreement) -Preference eligible or veteran who has separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service (VEOA) -Applicant eligible for noncompetitive appointment (e.g., Schedule A, Peace Corps, VRA) -PHS Officer

Duties

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You will:

  • Develop grant proposals that incorporate the Agency's programmatic priorities to encourage new ways of expanding environmental education.
  • Assist the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for the National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC) and the environmental education awards programs.
  • Determine the requirements for environmental education programs and provide recommendations on priorities with respect to time and resources available, projected schedules, and relationships to the objectives of the total training program.
  • Develop, design, and implement a curriculum guide and processes for EPA's environmental education content.

You will spend 25-50% 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

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Conditions of employment

#LI-Onsite

You must be a U.S. citizen.

You must meet time-in-grade requirements no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: This requirement remains in effect through 01/18/27.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period if appointed as Competitive Service or a two-year trial period if appointed as Excepted Service.

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.

REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs.

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-13 level, you must have 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level defined as developing training materials and educational resources; leading, delivering, and facilitating training and educational programs; and analyzing, evaluating, and/or reporting on the effectiveness of educational programs.

You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Critical Thinking
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Leadership
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Program/Project Management/Evaluation
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Written Communication
  • Communications and Media
  • 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: Part-Time Experience.

Education

You must have one of the following:

  1. Bachelor's or higher degree that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of this position, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses.
  1. Combination of education and experience: at least 24 semester hours in a field related to the work of this position, of which at least 9 semester hours must have been in education courses, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The experience must reflect the level and kind described in C below.
  1. Four years of experience that demonstrated a thorough understanding of the principles and practices underlying the work of this series. This experience must have been of such character and diversity to demonstrate that you possess an understanding of the field comparable to that normally acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university.
  1. At least 1 full academic year of professional teaching experience. This experience is defined as full and primary responsibility, under general supervision, for instruction of assigned students in an accredited school or institution. This includes responsibility for preparing and presenting lessons and for evaluating students' progress, including a determination of the students' success or failure according to established criteria.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation.

Additional information

Although the Service type indicated in the Overview section is Competitive, you may be appointed as Excepted Service based on your eligibility to be hired under certain appointing authorities.

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): CTAP/ICTAP
NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must have a score of 87 or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated 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: E-Verify.

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 not in the bargaining unit.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.

The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA's Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:

  • If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.
  • If you need to request a reasonable accommodation to complete the assessment, see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for information on how to make the request (the EPA is not involved in this process).
  • If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official's office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA's National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at disabilityaccommodations@epa.gov.
  • If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.
Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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 qualification requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses (if applicable) to all assessments required for this position.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13087304

If you are eligible for consideration, you will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


If you pass the first assessment, one or more subject matter experts will systematically review your resume to assess the degree to which your background matches the following competencies required for successful performance in this position:
  • Written Communication
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Program/Project Management/Evaluation

The score calculated based on the assessment will be used to determine if you are among the best qualified candidates.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating (including the use of a consultant or an AI tool to assist you) on any assessment may result in your removal from consideration for this job.

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.).

NOTE: Veterans' preference does not apply to merit promotion procedures. However, veterans' preference is a consideration for a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) and Schedule A disability appointment. If you are eligible to be considered for one of these non-competitive appointments, in order to be eligible for veterans' preference you must claim preference in your USAJOBS account; you must also submit proof of eligibility for veterans' preference as indicated in the Required Documents section.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire assessment, you will be granted the opportunity to request an RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire assessment and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire assessment. Decisions on requests for RA 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 assessment, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire assessment if you received the link after the announcement closes. To determine if you need an RA, please review Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Environmental Protection Agency

Grow your career for the good of our planet

The environmental challenges we face today are urgent. At the Environmental Protection Agency, we need professionals like you to join our team dedicated to safe, clean, and healthy communities. Our agency is built upon a commitment to protect human health and the environment. The work we do here changes the world. That's why there has never been a more crucial moment to be one of the scientists, engineers, community leaders, IT specialists, communicators, administrative professionals, technicians, problem solvers, and innovators united in our mission to protect our land, air, water, and people. Join us. Be EPA.

Discover how you can apply your skills to make an impact. Explore careers and learn more about EPA at epa.gov/careers.

Agency contact information

Brielle Ganthier
Phone
(919) 541-2562
Email
GANTHIER.BRIELLE@EPA.GOV
Address
Office of the Administrator
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
US

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