Physical/Medical Requirements:
Field work involves conducting equipment inspections, unannounced exercises, auditing operator-led training and exercises, sometimes offshore on vessels. This requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to frequent inspections and surveys. This physical exertion includes considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. All field activities require some form of agility and dexterity. Offshore deployments may involve extended travel on vessels over water, and vessel-to-vessel transfers, and the infrequent need to climb into/out of emergency evacuation devices. Spill response equipment inspections may involve overhead operations, movement of heavy machinery, and other activities that require the incumbent to look in all directions and be continuously and clearly aware of surroundings.
The incumbent may also be required to deploy to command posts during oil spill incidents and may require travel away from the duty station for long periods in excess of a week. Incident deployments are typically located in office environments and may require working more than 12 hours a day.
This position may be subject to medical evaluations and monitoring to ensure safety in the performance of duties. The agency is in the process of developing the applicable policies. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy.
Work Environment: Work is primarily performed in an office setting with occasional trips to offshore locations, storage yards, and incident command posts. Travel by auto, plane, helicopter or boat is required.
The in-office work environment involves normal everyday risks or discomforts typical of an office setting. Field work exposes the incumbent to adverse conditions such as weather, temperature extremes, and higher accident potential when offshore or in outdoor equipment yards and warehouse environments. The incumbent will typically spend 30-40 days per year conducting field work. Some work conditions may expose the incumbent to high noise levels, marine and other wildlife. The employee wears hardhats, safety glasses, safety-toe shoes, hearing protection, selected uniforms for the environment and takes on other various safety precautions.
Minimum Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.
(1) Basic Educational Requirements:
SUBMISSION OF TRANSCRIPTS IS REQUIRED.
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:
A. Degree: 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
B. Combination of education and experience - course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
(2) Specialized Experience
GS-11:
To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Independently collecting, analyzing, and reporting on scientific or technical data.
2. Adhering to oil spill response (or other incident management) operations, policies, laws, regulations and statutes relative to contingency planning.
3. Participating in various compliance activities, such as organized exercises/drills, training, or equipment inspections required by regulation, law, or policy.
Must meet all.
-OR-
Education: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience: Appropriate combination of education and experience that totals 100%. Note: Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours may be applied toward the combination at this grade level.
GS-12:
To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Utilizing oil spill (or other incident management) planning, preparedness, response concepts and strategies, including assessment of the behavior and environmental effects of contaminants.
2. Conducting technical reviews, evaluations and drafting spill response (or other incident management) contingency plans for compliance with applicable Federal, state and/or local laws, regulations, and policy requirements.
3. Conducting field inspections of spill containment, control, and cleanup equipment.
4. Conducting or evaluating spill response (or other incident management) contingency planning exercises or training in alignment with applicable Federal, state, and/or local laws or regulations.
Must meet all.
GS-13:
To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Managing regulatory oversight and technical advisement of spill response (or other incident management) requirements - i.e., planning, preparedness, and response strategies, including considerations for unique regional scenarios.
2. Designing, conducting, and evaluating Unannounced Exercises in alignment with the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), National Preparedness for Response and Exercise Preparedness (PREP) Guidelines, or similar program.
3. Operating within an Incident Command Structure during incident responses or response exercises.
4. Engaging with regulated community, industry representatives, general public and Federal, state, and local partners during conferences and meetings.
5. Advising regulated community and other stakeholders in development and revision of spill response (or other incident management) plans or strategies.
Must meet all.
Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.