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Senior Science Advisor

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Oct 15, 2021
Duties

Summary

This Senior-Level (SL) position is located in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. If selected, you must work at the location stated in this announcement. About OCSPP: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-chemical-safety-and-pollution-prevention-ocspp

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As Senior Science Advisor, the incumbent provides expert technical advice and guidance to senior management concerning hazard and exposure assessment, human health and ecological risk evaluation and science policy issues under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This includes, but is not limited to an understanding of: chemical hazard and exposure, chemical fate, relevance of animal data to inform human health evaluations, data reliability criteria, and the use of models and approaches to inform risk evaluation for new and existing chemicals under TSCA.

Specific duties include:
  • Performing a proactive role in identifying and helping resolve internal science policy questions to facilitate development and timely completion of human health and ecological risk evaluations for new and existing chemicals.
  • Managing and coordinating complex high level projects that cut across Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) divisions and Agency lines that are of national and international importance and serve to implement TSCA.
  • Serving as an authoritative liaison on health and environmental risk assessment and science policy issues for OPPT on high level Agency, interagency and international work groups on matters of science and science policy related to human health and environmental risk evaluation.
  • Meeting with internal and external groups to convey the science basis (methods and policy) for proposed EPA actions.
  • Providing support for testimony in legal and congressional hearings, and as necessary, serving as an expert witness in litigation/hearings to support Agency position for regulatory and enforcement actions.
  • Providing senior leadership and scientific expertise in interpreting and integrating the results of scientific information, including mechanistic studies, animal and non-animal data, and epidemiological information to inform decision-making.
  • Maintaining active liaison with research organizations, including the Office of Research and Development and other agencies, industry task forces, and international organizations, on key scientific information needed for chemicals and related decision-making.
  • Providing information and conducing briefings for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), OPPT senior managers and other high level Agency officials about human health and ecological science policy issues that will be used to inform regulatory options.


Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen.
  • You must submit resume and required documents (see How to Apply section).
  • You may be required to travel 1 to 5 days per month.
  • If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
  • Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
  • EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.


The Ethics in Government Act, P.L. 95-521 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SL position, annually, and upon termination of employment.

This position is designated as High 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.

If you are selected, you must complete a one year probationary period.

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:

We are looking for at least one year of specialized experience related to this position as described below:

To qualify for this SL position, you need to have at least one year of full time experience equivalent to the GS-15 level defined as performing work that involves evaluating risks to human health and the environment posed by pollutants and naturally occurring substances.

You will be evaluated on the mandatory Technical Qualifications listed in this announcement. See the Evaluations section of this announcement.

Education

You need a degree or combination of education and experience in one of the following disciplines as described below to qualify for this position.

Biology: 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.

Toxicology: You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in toxicology, or an appropriate discipline of the biological, medical, or veterinary sciences that included at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, biochemistry, or physiology, and 12 semester hours in toxicology

Chemistry: You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following: physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics; OR a combination of education and experience with education equivalent to one of the majors listed that included the described coursework.

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

Additional information

This position has portable work. If selected for this position, you may be authorized to telework after meeting eligibility requirements if approved by the supervisor/manager. Telework is available based on agency policy. NOTE: The agency is currently utilizing maximum telework flexibilities due to COVID. Once normal operations resume, you will be required to report to the location stated in this announcement.

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: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures .

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.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency's workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance.

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. If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your narrative statements addressing the Technical Qualifications. You are being evaluated under the category rating method which means, if you are determined to be qualified, you will be placed into the ‘Best Qualified', ‘Well Qualified', or ‘Qualified' category.

Your responses should be clear and concise and show a level of accomplishment and a degree of responsibility.

Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Mandatory - Limited to two pages per factor - Failure to address these factors will result in your application being disqualified.

TQ1. Demonstrated experience managing, directing, developing and providing guidance and policy direction for human health and/or ecological risk assessment policies and initiatives related to the development and use of traditional and advanced toxicology testing techniques, chemical exposure estimation methods, species and dose-response extrapolation, and probabilistic risk estimation.

TQ2. Demonstrated experience applying advanced risk assessment methodologies relevant to chemical regulations.

TQ3. Demonstrated experience communicating complex and politically sensitive environmental policy issues to higher management and externally.

TQ4. Demonstrated experience analyzing current domestic and international risk assessment issues for chemicals.

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.

--Narrative statements covering each Technical Qualification (TQ) - required - Limited to two pages per factor. Exceeding this limit will result in disqualification of your application. Your examples should emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments with results of your actions, policy initiatives and level of contacts.
--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. IF EDUCATION WAS COMPLETED AT A FOREIGN INSTITUTION: You must submit an equivalency evaluation with your application as described here: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures .

--Veterans' Preference Documents:
Separated veterans claiming 5-point preference:
  • - DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service) or other official document/statement from the Armed Forces showing separation, discharge, or release from active duty; document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge)
Separated veterans claiming 10-point preference based on compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more:
  • - DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service); document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge); and
  • - VA letter stating overall/combined disability rating (percentage); and
  • - SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form ) (see page 2 for documents that can be submitted in lieu of the DD-214 and VA letter)

Other separated veterans claiming 10-point preference OR spouses, widows/widowers, or mothers claiming 10-point derived preference:
  • - SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form ); and
  • - Other required documentation indicated on the SF-15

Active duty service members:
  • - Certification from the armed forces documenting active duty dates, expected discharge/release date, campaign medals/badges, and character of service (a certification is any written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged/released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge) within 120 days after you submit the certification)


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.

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