Life ScientistEnvironmental EngineerPhysical Scientist

At the highest advertised grade you will:

• Prepare or review Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) waste and/or RCRA Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) permits (issuance reissuance and modification) for routine treatment storage and disposal facilities.
• Provide technical support to state local or tribal agencies regarding well-defined technical and scientific criteria and methods associated waste management requirements and impacts of improper waste management.
• Resolve issues related to permit requirements and participate in the defense of permits against legal challenges with the Office of Regional Counsel (ORC).
• Respond to basic questions concerning the interpretation and application of permit requirements including inquiries from the press Congressional staff or state and local officials and/or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from the public.

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.

#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 drivers 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 drivers license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking or must be an Enhanced Drivers 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.

You will be required to obtain (before coming on board) and maintain a valid drivers license and must be able to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle.

You will be required to meet ongoing specialized safety training requirements in order to meet field safety standards.

Participation in the medical monitoring program is required.

Pre-employment physical may be required and periodic physicals thereafter.

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 reviewing permit applications for completeness using established checklists and standard operating procedures; preparing routine permitting correspondence and public participation materials.
• 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 with the preparation and review of environmental permit applications and draft permit conditions; drafting sections of permits or determinations compiling administrative records and preparing draft responses to public comments under supervision; coordinating with internal staff and external stakeholders to facilitate timely processing of permit actions and resolve straightforward issues.
• 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters degree; or masters 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:

• Attention to Detail
• Critical Thinking
• Environmental Laws and Regulations
• Customer Service
• Oral Communication
• Planning and Evaluating*
• Conflict Management
• Problem Solving
• Teamwork
• Technical Documentation* (assessed at GS-09 only)
• Written Communication* (assessed at GS-07 only)
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Reading Comprehension
• Program/Project Management/Evaluation*

*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.