Duties

Summary

This position is in the Office of the Regional Administrator (Region 3), Water Division, Clean Water Branch, Standards and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Section. The location will be determined after a selection has been made for the position; if selected, you must work at one of the locations stated in this announcement. The salary will be commensurate with the location. About Region 3: EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

You will:

- Serve as a Senior Surface Water Quality Specialist, providing technical support and guidance to states relative to the development and implementation of Water Quality Standards, as required by Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act;

- Act as a program lead for one or more states, ensuring the development and approval of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) are consistent with requirements of the Clean Water Act, EPA regulations, and applicable decrees or State/EPA Memorandum of Agreements;

- Support states in the development of water quality monitoring and assessment programs, provide guidance in quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), and identify areas for improvement the programs;

- Coordinate and consult with states, basin commissions, and internal/external partners to clearly identify problems, solutions, and corrective actions to be taken to improve watershed restoration efforts;

- Provide support to the Clean Water Branch (CWB) Permits Section on the review, development, and/or issuance of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.

You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
• Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
• EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
• You may be required to travel less than 25% of each month.
• This is a temporary position (see Other Information on assignment limits).

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.

You must meet time in grade requirements no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

In addition to the educational requirements, we are looking for at least one year of specialized experience related to this position as described below:

To qualify for the GS-13 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-12 level defined as applying Clean Water Act regulations and policies to the development or implementation of at least one of the following programs: water quality standards, watershed restoration, Total Maximum Daily Loads, water quality monitoring, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting, and/or related areas.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: 1) Knowledge of environmental laws and regulations pertaining to the Clean Water Act; 2) Skill in utilizing project management concepts; 3) Knowledge of Quality Assurance principles and practices; 4) Skill in presenting technical/scientific information to various audiences; 5) Ability to oversee grants, contracts, and/or cooperative and inter-agency agreements; 6) Knowledge of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES); 7) Skill in interpreting and evaluating scientific data.

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: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures .

Education

You need a degree or combination of education and experience as described below to qualify for this position.

Life Scientist:

You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR a combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major, as listed.

Environmental Engineer:

All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for consideration for an engineering position:

• Successful completion of a professional engineering degree at an accredited university or college

OR

• Have a combination of college level education or training AND technical experience that has furnished you with (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

Professional registration as an engineer.

Evidence of passing the Engineer-in-Training written test.

Successful documented completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences as described by OPM.

Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field and at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

Please review the OPM page on specifics about required curriculum and for more information on qualifications, please visit GS-800: All Professional Engineering Positions qualifications .

Physical Scientist:

You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics; OR a combination of education and experience with education equivalent to one of the majors listed that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures .

Additional information

Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures

Position has portable work and selectee may be authorized to telework after meeting eligibility requirements if approved by the supervisor/manager.

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.

If you are selected, you will serve in either a temporary promotion or a detail.

If this position is at a higher grade than your current grade, the assignment will be a temporary promotion which will be processed for a period not to exceed one year. It may be extended up to four additional years without further competition, for a total of five years.

If you are already at the same grade as this position, your assignment will be a detail which will be processed for a period not to exceed 120 days, and may be extended in 120 day increments. While on the detail, your salary will not change.

You may be returned at any time to the position from which you were temporarily promoted or detailed, or to a different position of equivalent position and pay.

If you are selected, your position may become permanent.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your resume must address the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the Qualifications section. If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the online assessment. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for the position and an applicable score assigned.

We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. We will evaluate your qualifications and eligibility and notify you if you meet minimum qualification requirements. If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments.

NOTE: We do not require a separate statement responding to the competencies, also referred to as Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). However, your resume should clearly show possession of these competencies.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Documents to be submitted online:

NOTE: You should ensure your social security number, date of birth, and any other personal information are redacted.

-- Resume clearly stating your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section. In describing your experience, you need to be clear and specific. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.

-- Responses to the online assessment questionnaire (you must complete this online - it is not a document you need to upload).

-- College transcripts - required to submit either unofficial transcripts or a list of courses that includes school(s) attended, school address, course title, grades earned, completion dates, department, and quarter or semester hours earned. NOTE: Official educational transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if you are selected, you must provide official transcripts before you start work with EPA.

-- Displaced Federal employees under CTAP: copy of your most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and your most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station.

-- Notification(s) of Personnel Action (SF-50) - You are required to submit SF-50(s) that includes Position Title, Grade or Level, and Duty Station. The SF-50(s) must prove you are eligible to apply for the position and have met time-in grade:
• ELIGIBILITY - You must provide SF-50(s) demonstrating that you meet the criteria in the Clarification from the Agency section at the top right of this announcement. (The most common eligibility requirements are Permanent employees [Block 24/Tenure on SF-50], Competitive Status [Block 24/Tenure and Block 34/Position Occupied on SF-50], In the Office of [Block 22/Name and Location of Position's Organization on the SF-50] and In the Commuting Area [Block 39/Duty Station on the SF-50].)
• TIME-IN-GRADE - If you are applying for a higher grade, you must provide SF-50(s) demonstrating you have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in a position at the next lower grade. The next lower grade is identified in the Qualifications section of this announcement. (Some examples of SF-50s that can prove you've met time-in-grade include promotions, within-grade increases, and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/job.)

-- Performance appraisal - You are required to submit your most recent completed annual performance appraisal, dated within the last 18 months (if it is not dated within the last 18 months, or you have not received a performance appraisal, you must upload a signed/dated explanation why). NOTE: You only need to upload the page that shows the overall rating and manager/supervisor's signature, not the entire document. NOTE DURING COVID-19 WORK FLEXIBILITIES: If your hard copy performance appraisal is not available due to current telework requirements/recommendations, you must check your eOPF. If you are unable to access your eOPF, contact the HR Specialist listed in this announcement for assistance before the announcement closes. If your performance appraisal document is not in your eOPF, you must upload a signed/dated explanation clarifying why the documentation is not available due to telework.

To learn more about submitting documentation, visit Uploading Documents to USAJOBS .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.