Biologist/Ecologist/Environmental Engineer/Physical Scientist/Geographer (Regulatory Specialist)

Duties

• GS-07 - Attend field investigations as a trainee, related to the review and processing of permit applications.
• GS-07 - Assure compliance with public laws and regulations applicable to the agency regulatory program.
• GS-11 - Assure compliance with public laws and regulations for the agency regulatory program.
• GS-09 - Prepare public notices, statement of findings, routine environmental assessments, and permits.
• GS-11 - Provide advice to potential applicants/permittees concerning regulatory requirements, including jurisdiction, processing and evaluation, and the likelihood of project approval.
• GS-07 - Communicate with applicants, resource agencies, and the public.
• GS-11 - Evaluate applications for permits, and the modification of permits, for activities or work in waters of the United States.
• GS-09 - Assure compliance with public laws and regulations for the agency regulatory program.
• GS-07 - Draft public notices, statement of findings, routine environmental assessments, and permits for review and signature.
• GS-09 - Communicate with applicants, resource agencies and the public.
• GS-11 - Analyze/evaluate and author final decision documents/permit applications pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and other laws and regulations applicable to the regulatory program.
• GS-09 - Evaluate proposed project plans to identify potential general environmental concerns, cultural resources, fish and wildlife values, and detriments associated with construction and discharge of dredged or fill material affecting waters.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Incumbent is required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position and annually.
• The employee is required to travel up to 50% of the time.
• The employee is required to obtain and maintain a valid State-issued motor vehicle driver's license.
• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.

Qualifications

This Open Continuous announcement allows acceptance of applications through the closing date. The intent of this announcement is to establish a standing register of qualified candidates and refer for consideration when vacancies occur. Applications will be reviewed and referred for selection as vacancies occur within the organization. The INITIAL CUTOFF DATE for this announcement is 23 NOVEMBER 2022. After the initial cutoff date, applicants will be referred on a 60-day basis. *****ONCE ALL SELECTIONS ARE MADE, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE CLOSED WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE. *****

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

Basic Requirement For Biologist

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

• Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Basic Requirement For Ecologist

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.

Basic Requirement For Physical Scientist

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) 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

• Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to one of the majors, as shown in A above, that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Basic Requirement For Environmental Engineer

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); OR (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

• Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration, by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
• Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (El), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
• Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.
• Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying 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:
• Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.

Basic Requirement For Geographer

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies, or planning that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields.

OR

• Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in geography, or a related field that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In Addition To Meeting The Basic Requirement Above, To Qualify For This Position You Must Also Meet The Qualification Requirements Listed Below

Education

Qualifications Continue*

GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Assisting higher- level employees in reviewing permit applications and evaluating environmental impacts; and 2) Conducting jurisdictional determinations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR

Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement Is Based On

Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above.

• Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
• Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR
• Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses, OR

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-09 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Applying governing environmental/resource laws that may include the Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act; and 2) Assisting in the processing of environmental permit workload that may include pre-application consultations, evaluation of permit applications, and monitoring of permit compliance, violations and enforcement actions. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-11 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Analyzing regulations and/or laws; 2) Advising stakeholders on jurisdictional and regulatory guidance; 3) Reviewing application documents, monitoring permit compliance, violations, and enforcement actions with little input from higher-graded employees. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional Information

This announcement uses the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce direct hire authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to certain positions in the competitive service.

• GS-7/9/11 Salary Range for Carlisle, PA - $45,395.00 - $59,009.00
• GS-7/9/11 Salary Range for Baltimore and Easton, MD - $50,643.00 - $65,831.00
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within a designated time frame identified by the organization. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.
• Two-year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• GS-7/9/11 Salary Range for State College and Tioga, PA - $44,740.00 - $58,158.00
• Information may be requested regarding the vaccination status of selectees for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols. For more information, visit https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/ .
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• Recruitment/Hiring incentives may be authorized.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• This is a Career Program (CP) 18 - Engineers and Scientists position.