Environmental Protection Specialist

Summary

Employee will be assigned to Occupational Safety and Health, VA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System, Topeka, KS, and will serve as an Environmental Protection Specialist as the Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Coordinator. The GEMS Coordinator is responsible for managing the healthcare system's environmental program(s) and coordinating the efforts of organizations that relate to environmental matters.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates environmental programs which includes setting qualitative and quantitative standards and provides technical assistance for projects to resolve environmental problems. This includes domestic and industrial wastewater treatment and disposal; safe drinking water; treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste; release of hazardous material/spill response; air pollution control; environmental media permitting; toxic substances; and regulatory oversight.
• Develops policies and procedures on the methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate the Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) in the Healthcare System.
• Develops long and short-range goals considering space utilization, budget processes, and planning activities.
• Coordinates activities of the Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS), plans with other administrative and clinical services, and ensures development of program objectives.
• Develops and implements a quality management plan to provide a systematic and rational process for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of environmental compliance issues.
• Develops and implements training and educational programs related to environmental programs.
• Evaluates, modifies, and implements pollution prevention alternatives to reduce the generation of waste.
• Manages and/or provides technical advice regarding response to environmental emergencies including releases/spills of hazardous material.
• Develops and presents to management budgetary information related to environmental programs.
• Ensures environmental compliance with standards and regulations for program elements on programmatic responsibilities including, but not limited to: Asbestos Identification Control, Ethylene Oxide, Hearing Conservation, Hazard Communication Standard, Chemical identification and Storage, Nitrous Oxide, Safe Drinking Water, etc.
• Engages with community external stakeholders for environmentally related statues in the local community.
• Serves on the national-level Program Advisory Group(s) (PAG) to plan and direct national level programmatic goals and standards within the Environmental Compliance and GEMS program metric.
• Utilizes complex internal and external compliance databases for tracking and documenting all types of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: planning, implementing, and evaluating an environmental protection program; administering a green environmental management program/system; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations; advising management and providing technical advice on environmental programs; developing and implementing environmental policies and procedures; conducting audits; and preparing reports.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE ( Transcript Required ) - Applicants must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

OR

COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE ( Transcript Required ) - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

Physical Requirements : The work requires the employee to carry a good deal of equipment and involves walking, standing, bending, climbing, or crawling during inspections, audits, and surveys.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

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

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.