Duties

Summary

The Director of the Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) is responsible for providing technical direction by managing the environmental staff, providing high level expertise, and overseeing the agency's environmental analysis program, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), for rail constructions, abandonments, mergers, acquisitions, and analysis of environmental issues for other transportation actions before the Surface Transportation Board (STB).
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Responsibilities

As Director of the Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA), you will:

- Ensure the agency's compliance with the NEPA and related environmental statutes is legal and defensible.

- Administer the agency's environmental rules; oversee preparation of environmental reviews, agency environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, and analysis of environmental issues raised in other transportation actions before the Board.

- Manage a multidisciplinary staff, assign cases and provide legal and environmental counseling, and assist staff in negotiating multi-party/agency agreements.

- Provide technical advice to the Chairman, Board Members, and agency staff regarding environmental matters.

- Direct seminars and briefings and assist in developing practical and legally defensible mitigation and environmental recommendations.

- Execute administrative and personnel requirements for OEA.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

- U.S. Citizenship is required.

- All qualification requirements must be met by August 6, 2021.

- Your application package will not receive consideration if it lacks any of the required documents under the "Required Documents" tab.

- Probationary Period: Must complete a 1-year SES probationary period, if not previously completed.

- You must file a financial disclosure report upon appointment to the SES.

- If you are tentatively selected for appointment to this SES position your ECQs must be approved by OPM.

- 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/Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance.

- If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.

- Eligibility for this position will be based upon the applicant clearly illustrating his/her experience, knowledge, skills and abilities if the scope and quality sufficient to effectively carry out the assignments of the position. Refer to the link below for additional information.
Appendix A of the SES ECQ guide

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: Effective January 1 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the executive branch you MUST disclose that information to the Human Resources Office.

The Senior Executive Service (SES) is comprised of men and women charged with leading the continuing transformation of government. These leaders possess well-honed executive skills, share a broad perspective of government, and a public service commitment. In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the Specialized Experience requirement, Technical Core Qualification (TCQ), and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) shown below.

Unless you are currently serving under an SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement to the SES, or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program approved by the Office of Personnel Management, you MUST submit a narrative statement covering the TCQ and ECQs in order to receive consideration for this position. Current and/or former SES employees MUST submit a narrative statement covering the TCQ.

Technical Core Qualifications. All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following specific TCQ. Please label and include your name on each page (no more than 2 pages). Please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled managing environmental challenges.

TCQ 1 - Demonstrated knowledge of NEPA and related laws, such as the National Historic Preservation Act, including both regulations and policy, as well as demonstrated skill in preparing Environmental Impact Statements, Environmental Assessments, and Categorical Exclusions. Please highlight experience, if any, addressing environmental issues in the freight rail industry or transportation.

Executive Core Qualification. The ECQs describe the leadership skills needed to succeed in the Senior Executive Service (SES) and are in addition to the specific mandatory technical qualifications. Applicants are encouraged to visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/handbook.html and view the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Guide to Senior Executive Qualifications. Please use the Challenge, Context, Action, Results, (CCAR) formula suggested in the OPM guidance. Please review these qualifications and then follow the instructions in the How To Apply section of this vacancy announcement. Your response must be limited to two pages for each ECQ.

ECQ 1 - Leading Change: involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Leadership Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, and Vision.

ECQ 2 - Leading People: involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, and Team Building.

ECQ 3 - Results Driven: involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, and Technical Credibility.

ECQ 4- Business Acumen: involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, and Technology Management.

ECQ 5 - Building Coalitions: involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, and Influencing/Negotiating.

An SES reviewing panel will evaluate your application based on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education. Applicants determined to be highly qualified may undergo an interview and a reference check. If selected, you must be certified by an OPM Qualifications Review Board (QRB), unless you are a current SES executive or have successfully participated in an OPM approved SES CDP.
You must receive certification before you can be appointed to the position.

You must clearly show that you possess the experience, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position by submitting narrative responses in which you detail your experience in each ECQ.

Your examples should be clear and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives, and level of contacts. You should limit your narrative to two pages per ECQ.

Education

In order to qualify for this position, applicants must possess the following education requirements.

• A professional law degree (LL.B, J.D., LL.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA);
• Current membership in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Proof of bar membership will be required before entering on duty.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at U.S. accredited college or university. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. In addition, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) has work/life-balance flexibilities that may be right for you. We offer:

Flexible Work Schedule options: Two flexible work schedules, the Flexitour Option and the Compressed Work Schedule. Employees on the Flexitour may schedule fixed arrival and departure times around established core hours and work 8 hours plus a 30-minute unpaid lunch period. Employees on the Compressed Work Schedule may work 8 9-hour work days and one 8-hour day (plus the 30-minute unpaid lunch period) in each biweekly pay period and receive one scheduled day off; OR may work 4 10-hour days (plus the 30-minute unpaid lunch period) with one week day off each week;

Telework opportunities upon supervisor approval and in accordance with the Employee Work Schedule policy;

Fitness Center: STB employees, at no cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located in the building; and

A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.

Guidance on Addressing the ECQs and TCQ, Other Documentation, and Total Page Lengths:
-ECQs: All applicants (except OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) or current or former SES Career employees) are required to address the ECQs (limited to two (2) pages in length for each ECQ and be separate from your resume).
- TCQ: All applicants are required to address the TCQ (limited to two (2) page in length for the TCQ and be separate from your resume).
- TCQ and ECQs: For further information and tips on writing effective narrative statements, see OPM's publication, A Guide to SES Qualifications, available on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website at: www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp (http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp) .

- Other Information: This position has been designated as a Career position and will be filled on a career basis.
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approval and a probationary period will be required for any applicant who does not have Senior Executive Service (SES) career status.
- OPM Certification: An initial appointment to an SES position is contingent on approval from the OPM Qualifications Review Board unless the selectee has successfully completed an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) or has evidence of an SES appointment.
- Veterans' preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications and then further reviewed and ranked by the STB's Executive Resources Board (ERB) for the quality and extent of your total experience, accomplishments, and education. Highly qualified candidates may be invited to participate in an interview and undergo a reference check. The ERB will review results and make recommendations on final selection to the appointing authority. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB before appointment can occur.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be received before the announcement closes:

1. Resume.
2. A separate narrative description for each ECQ and MTQ (see Guidance on Addressing the ECQs and MTQs, Other
Documentation, and Total Page Length above).
3. Any other supporting documents.

If applying for non-competitive appointment:
4. SF-50, showing you are a current or former member of the SES, if applicable.
5. Proof of OPM QRB certification (for OPM-approved SES CDP graduates), if applicable.

Eligibility for this position will be based upon the applicant clearly illustrating his/her experience, knowledge, skill, and abilities of the scope and quality sufficient to effectively carry out the assignments of the position.

If you are a GS-15 and tentatively selected for appointment to this SES position, your ECQs must be approved by OPM.

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.