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Life Scientist/Physical Scientist
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Oct 17, 2024
Summary
This position is in Region 9, Water Division, Surface Water Branch, Wetlands & Oceans Section. About Region 9.
This is an office-centered position*--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.
*EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section.
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Overview
- Accepting applications
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Open & closing dates
10/17/2024 to 10/31/2024
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Salary
$90,310 - $140,713 per year
Salary will be based on the grade level for which you are selected.
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Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
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Location
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Remote job
No
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Telework eligible
Yes—NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position.
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Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel for this position.
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Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
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Appointment type
Permanent
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Work schedule
Full-time
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Service
Competitive
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Promotion potential
12
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Job family (Series)
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Supervisory status
No
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Security clearance
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Drug test
No
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Announcement number
EPA-Y9-ODH-2025-0001
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Control number
814411600
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Duties
At the entry level of this position, you will:
- Provide significant technical, scientific, and regulatory analysis under the MPRSA and CWA.
- Develop and communicate technical information, rulemaking, and policy.
- Develop monitoring surveys and contracting of EPA-designated Ocean Disposal Sites (ODMDS).
When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, 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.
One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.
You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen.
- Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
- EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings.
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.
If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
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.
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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-11 level, you must have one of the following:
- 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level defined as plan, coordinate, or advise on wetland and ocean management work efforts.
- 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree; or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral 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.
To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level defined as plan, coordinate, or advise on wetland and ocean management work efforts, or to resolve permitting issues and decisions, providing technical assistance, problem-solving, and sharing technical information.
Your application package will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:
- Knowledge of pertinent federal, state, and local laws and regulations, such as the Clean Water Act, Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) ocean dumping program and Clean Water Act (CWA).
- Knowledge of applying a wide range of concepts, principles, practices, and methodology of the field biological/physical sciences (e.g., biology, aquatic ecology, geology, hydrology, chemistry).
- Knowledge of federal and agency regulations, laws, policies and practices governing grants administration, sufficient to serve as a Project Officer.
- Skill in oral communication sufficient to provide guidance and assistance on complex aspects of environmental protection policies, plans, and programs.
- Skill in written communication sufficient to respond to a wide variety of external inquiries, and develop program reporting, policies, and guidance.
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: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
Education
0401 Natural Resources Management and 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.
1301 General Physical Science: 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 EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
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.
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: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA.
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 in the bargaining unit.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
This position is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management’s government-wide direct-hire authority. Under the provisions of the direct-hire authority, category rating, veterans’ preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply. All eligible applicants will be forwarded to the selecting official for further consideration, and you may be subject to assessments during the selection process (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.). If you are selected, we will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the qualification requirements.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
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Required Documents
Required documents to be submitted online:
ALL APPLICANTS
- Resume clearly stating your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section--include specific dates (MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY) so we can determine that you have the required amount of experience (if applicable). In describing your experience, you need to be clear and specific (we may not make assumptions regarding your experience). PLEASE LIMIT YOUR RESUME TO A MAXIMUM OF 7 PAGES.
- College transcripts - unofficial or official transcripts or a list of courses that includes school(s) attended, school address, course title, grades earned, completion dates, department, and quarter or semester hours earned.
NOTE: Official educational transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if you are selected, you must provide official transcripts before you start work with EPA.
IF EDUCATION WAS COMPLETED AT A FOREIGN INSTITUTION: You must submit an equivalency evaluation with your application as described here: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE
- Most recent performance appraisal
- Proof of eligibility
- Most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, tenure, and duty station
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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How to Apply
This is an interdisciplinary position (i.e., more than one possible series/title), and you will only be evaluated/considered for the series you select during the application process. Since you may qualify for more than one series and/or may not qualify for the series you anticipate, we encourage you to select all listed series.
You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.
To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the top right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register, submit all required documents, and complete the assessment questionnaire. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature (see How to Upload Documents).
If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement. You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.
For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.
The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA’s Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:
- • If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.
- • If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official’s office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA’s National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at disabilityaccommodations@epa.gov.
- • If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.
Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Agency contact information
RCD Staffing
- Address
- Environmental Protection Agency
OMS/OHCO/RCD
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
WJC Bldg North, Mail Code 1448K
Washington, District of Columbia 20460
United States
Next steps
You can track the progress of your application via your USAJOBS account by clicking the Track This Application link. Through your USAJOBS account, you will be notified of the status of your application at four touch-points (some of these notifications may be combined): (1) when your application is received; (2) when we conduct an eligibility and qualification review of your application package; (3) when applications are referred (or not) to the hiring manager; (4) when a selection is made (or not) for the position or the job is canceled. It is your responsibility to check your USAJOBS account for this application status information. In addition, you will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the human resources office posting this announcement.
NOTE: We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses through reference and/or background check, and/or verification of your education. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.