Life Scientist/Environmental Engineer/Physical Scientist

Summary This position is in Region 5, Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division, Land Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Branch. About Region 5: Region 5. This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. Responsibilities At the highest advertised grade, you will: Conduct inspections and investigations of regulated facilities to ensure compliance, maintain accurate records, and support effective enforcement actions. Provide technical assistance on analytical methods and sampling, evaluated at a and process quality, review and comment on guidance/policy/regulations, prepare documents and draft Federal Register notices, and liaise with state, local, and tribal officials to answer questions and provide training to ensure scientifically sound, compliant, and consistently implemented regional decisions. Participate in enforcement activities to ensure evidence-based, policy-compliant, and defensible enforcement outcomes. Provide compliance assistance to regulated facilities and technical support for sampling, inspections, and monitoring to ensure consistent, compliant oversight, high-quality data, and improved program performance. If you are hired at a lower grade level, your duties will be less complex and you will have more supervisory oversight. You may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level. You will spend less than 25% 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 Conditions of Employment #LI-Onsite You must be a U.S. citizen. If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period. 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. If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter. You will be required to obtain (before coming on board) and maintain a valid driver's license and must be able to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle. You may have limited exposure to hazardous materials. This position requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). You will be required to lift items weighing up to 50 pounds. Participation in the medical monitoring program is required. Pre-employment physical may be required and periodic physicals thereafter. 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-07 level, you must have one of the following: 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level defined as assisting in the collection and/or analysis of field and laboratory environmental samples; OR applying scientific/engineering principles or policies to environmental protection issues or problems 1 year of graduate-level education; or superior academic achievement (Superior Academic Achievement Definition); the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position equivalent combination of education and experience To qualify for the GS-09 level, you must have one of the following: 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level defined as assisting in the collection and/or analysis of field and laboratory environmental samples; AND applying scientific/engineering principles or policies to environmental protection issues or problems. 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree; or master's or equivalent graduate degree; the education must be directly related and provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position equivalent combination of education and experience NOTE: 1 year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study; if that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered an academic year of graduate study. You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully: Technical Knowledge (Related to Position) * (Both GS-07 and GS-09) Compliance and Compliance Inspection Written Communication * (Both GS-07 and GS-09) Oral Communication Environmental Laws and Regulations * (Both GS-07 and GS-09) *You will be evaluated on these critical competencies. 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 Life Scientist: You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in 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: You must have one of the following: Successful completion of a professional engineering degree at an accredited university or college OR 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 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 Accreditation. Additional Information Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section. 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 fall into the Well Qualified category 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.