Regulatory Specialist

Summary

This position is located with Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances.

MSHA works to prevent death, illness and injury from mining; promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

This is a career ladder progression position; the incumbent will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.

For the GS-09 level:

• Drafts regulations or assists senior regulatory specialists in drafting regulations pertaining to MSHA programs. Responsible for ensuring promulgated regulations reflect MSHA policies and are consistent with Federal law, executive orders, and guidance, including the Mine Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, EO 12866, and the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook.
• Responsible for reviewing and analyzing comments received on proposed occupational health and safety regulations and determining significant issues raised in written comments. Support senior regulatory specialists in drafting responses to received comments.
• Responsible for determining if proposed regulations or standards require regulatory impact and regulatory flexibility analyses. Where required, supports economists in the preparation of such analyses. Assists technical specialists in using the results of these analyses to modify draft standards, where warranted.
• Participates in reviews and analyses of existing Agency regulations to identify those which may need revision in view of changing Agency requirements or policies or actions taken by other regulatory agencies and provides this information to the Chief of the Regulatory Development Division.
• Manages and drafts correspondences to the Office of the Solicitor, other MSHA program areas, and members of the regulated community.

For the GS-11 level:

• Drafts the complex or sensitive regulations pertaining to MSHA programs. Responsible for ensuring promulgated regulations reflect MSHA policies and are consistent with Federal law, EOs, and guidance, including the Mine Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook.
• Responsible for reviewing and analyzing comments received on proposed occupational health and safety regulations and determining, in conjunction with technical program personnel, management, and the Office of the Solicitor, whether the issues raised in written comments have sufficient merit to warrant changes in the proposed regulation. Drafts responses to substantial comments and explains MSHA position on those topics.
• Responsible for determining if proposed regulations or standards require regulatory impact and regulatory flexibility analyses. Where required, supports economists in the preparation of such analyses. Assists technical specialists in using the results of these analyses to modify draft standards, where warranted.
• Conducts continuing reviews and analyses of existing Agency regulations to identify those which may need revision in view of changing Agency requirements or policies or actions taken by other regulatory agencies and provides this information to the Chief of the Regulatory Development Division and other MSHA officials.
• Manages and drafts correspondences to the Office of the Solicitor, Office of Mine Safety and Health Enforcement, other agencies, and members of the regulated community. Exercises a leadership role to resolve any differences within MSHA.

For the GS-12 level:

• Drafts the most complex, controversial, or sensitive regulations pertaining to MSHA programs. Coordinates with the Office of the Solicitor as needed.
• Ensures that promulgated regulations reflect DOL policies and are consistent with Federal law, executive orders, and official guidance, and the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook. Collaborates with MSHA program offices, the Office of the Solicitor, and Departmental personnel to build consensus on regulatory strategy and rule text.
• Responsible for reviewing and analyzing comments received on proposed regulations and determining, in conjunction with technical program personnel, management, and the Office of the Solicitor, whether the issues raised by the comments have sufficient merit to warrant changes in the proposed regulation. Drafts updates to regulation and clearly explains MSHA positions on complex topics.
• Conducts continuing reviews and analyses of existing Agency occupational health and safety regulations to identify those which may need revision in view of changing Agency requirements or policies or actions taken by other regulatory agencies and provides this information to the Assistant Secretary and top MSHA officials.
• Manages and drafts correspondences to the Office of the Solicitor, Office of Mine Safety and Health Enforcement, other agencies, members of the regulated community, and Congress. Exercises a leadership role to resolve any differences within MSHA or between MSHA and external stakeholders.
• Prepares documents for the Semi-annual Regulatory Agenda and Regulatory Plan. Responsible for ensuring assigned rulemakings are delivered within time frames defined in the Semi-annual Regulatory Agenda.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

To qualify for the Regulatory Specialist, you must meet one of the options as described by grade level below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For the GS-09 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-09 level is defined as 3 of the following:

• Supporting the formulation and writing of rulemaking documents.
• Reviewing and interpreting regulations, executive orders, or legislation.
• Analyzing the impacts of regulations on industry or stakeholder groups.
• Interpreting and applying industry consensus standards.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with representatives of trade associations, worker unions, industry groups, and/or regulatory bodies.

OR

Education: Possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B or J.D, if related, that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR

Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-11 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-11 level is defined as 4 of the following:

• Interpreting new regulations, executive orders, or legislation and delivering conclusions/recommendations.
• Preparing reports and analyses required by law, executive order, or regulation.
• Developing rulemaking content and performing complex regulatory analysis that require input from subject matter experts, including solicitors, economists, technology experts, and/or field staff.
• Analyzing and modeling the impacts of regulations on industry or stakeholder groups.
• Drafting external communications that accurately reflect government agency policies, regulations, and positions.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with high-level officials at trade associations, unions, industry groups, and/or regulatory bodies.

OR

Education: Possess a Ph.D or equivalent graduate degree, or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M, if related, that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR

Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-12 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-12 level is defined as the following:

• Interpreting new regulations, executive orders, or legislation and delivering conclusions/recommendations.
• Preparing reports and analysis required by law, executive order, or regulation.
• Formulating regulatory narrative that incorporates nuanced legal rationale, technical grounding, and economic details.
• Leading working groups that include solicitors, economists, technology experts, and enforcement personnel.
• Analyzing and modeling the impacts of regulations on industry or stakeholder groups.
• Draft external communications that accurately reflect government agency policies, regulations, and positions. Preparing responses to complex questions and/or other correspondence received as a result of rulemaking.
• Interpreting and applying industry consensus standards.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with high-level officials both within and outside the Agency.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. The duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area the position will be included in the Local 12 AFGE bargaining unit.

MSHA JOBS ONLY : All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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.

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.