This position is for an Environmental Engineer and is located in the Safety Service of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. The position reports to and works under the supervision of the Chief of Safety Service. Environmental engineering involves the application of engineering and science theories, principles, and practical concepts to understand and solve environmental problems.

Duties

Major Duties include, but are not limited to: Assists with the coordination efforts of the VA Medical Center staff involved with VA's Green Environmental Management System (GEMS), to ensure GEMS is developed and implemented in accordance with EPA, SCDHEC, Executive Orders, VHA Directives and VA Medical Center policies and procedures. Applies environmental science and technology to demonstrate relationships between the operation of the VA Medical Center with human health, ecosystems, environmental media and natural resources. Surveillances domestic and industrial wastewater treatment and disposal; safe drinking water, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste; release of hazardous material/spill response; air pollution control; environmental media permitting; toxic substances; and regulatory oversight. Oversees regulatory requirements of Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); Clear Air Act (CAA); Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; Pollution Prevention Act; Toxic Substance Control Act; Solid Waste Management; and Water, Wastewater and Storm Water Programs. Reviews plans, specifications for all projects to assure personnel are afforded a healthy environment and that proper sanitary features are provided, and assures environmental regulatory requirements are complied with, including: air permits, water and wastewater permits, solid waste permits, and hazardous waste permits as required. Prepares detailed engineering specifications and cost estimates for the purchase or construction of environmental control equipment and process control equipment, in conjunction with environmental and hazardous waste disposal/recycle studies. Analyzes problems and accomplishes assigned tasks using basic knowledge of computer hardware and software. Interprets considerable data, plans work, or refines methods and techniques to be used. Applies engineering and science theories, principles, and practical concepts to understand and solve environmental problems. Initiates action to resolve problems, including the initiation of end response to impact statements concerning the installation's activities on public safety, ecology, and environment. Provides related engineering service for the design and construction of air and water pollution control systems, and hazardous waste handling facilities. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Compressed/Flexible: Not Eligible Telework: Not Eligible Position Description/PD#: Environmental Engineer/PD079460 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This position is covered by (Enter Labor Agreement) bargaining unit. Per the Master Agreement, the Area of Consideration will be: 1st Area of Consideration: Current permanent Facility (including satellites) employees 2nd Area of Consideration: Current permanent VA employees 3rd Area of Consideration: Federal employees of other agencies

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/15/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. To qualify for the GS 0819 occupational series, applicants MUST possess one of the following: A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by 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 B. 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: Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, 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. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 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 the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. 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 bachelor's 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.) In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement as listed above, applicants must also meet the Specialized Experience or Education: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Comprehensive knowledge and experience in the following: principles, practices, and techniques of environmental engineering, hydrogeology, and chemistry in assessing the potential and actual reactions and effects of solid and hazardous wastes on the natural processes and quality of soils and ground water; fundamental understanding of environmental laws and regulations relative to environmental programs that enables the incumbent to plan, coordinate and conduct environmental conservation, restoration, compliance and pollution prevention projects and carry out actions associated with the compliance of operations with applicable standards; basic computer hardware and software; analyze test results and interpret data; recommendations concerning solid and hazardous wastes; organize, interpret, prepare, communicate and defend complex technical information and positions to a wide range of audiences. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or I have completed 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. If related.. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Environmental Engineering Hazardous Materials Critical Thinking Hydrology Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring field visits, investigations or surveys. The incumbent performs regular and recurring work involving long periods of standing and walking. The incumbent may be required to lift equipment or supplies weighing up to 50 lbs. 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; religions; 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.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Transcripts should state the name of the student, name of the university and/or college, total number of credits completed, date degree awarded/conferred. Copies of Official Transcripts are accepted and are the best way to ensure your education is interpreted correctly in accordance with OPM qualification standards, but unofficial transcripts are accepted if they contain all the required information. If credit for a course is being questioned by the HR Professional performing qualifications, it is your responsibility to provide supporting descriptive information (course syllabus/descriptions) in your application package.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 109 Bee Street Charleston, SC 29401 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]