DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Oil Spill Preparedness Division, Preparedness Verification Branch, Gulf of Mexico OSP Section. At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Provides guidance, advice, training, and instruction to staff on technical review and evaluation of oil spill response plans (OSRPs), plan holder training and exercises, unannounced exercises, oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and ensures all activities are in accordance with national policy. 2. Conducts technical review and evaluation of OSRPs, conducts and evaluates unannounced exercises; inspects and evaluates oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and engages in other oil spill program activities. 3. Leads, assists, or instructs others in the development and execution of government initiated unannounced oil spill exercises; may conduct exercises and/or serve as an evaluator. 4. Prepares and reviews a broad range of complex correspondence to answer or solicit information from lessees, operators, oil spill removal organizations, Federal and state agencies, and the public. 5. Serves as the lead BSEE representative on Regional Response Teams (RRT), Area Committees, and incident specific RRT calls, providing support, advice and expertise to the National Response System on matters pertinent to oil spill planning, preparedness, and response. 6. Attends meetings/conferences with BSEE personnel; Federal, state, and industry representatives; and the public concerning the implementation of relevant regulations and requirements of the OSRP review and approval process. 7. Serves in designated positions within the Incident Command Structure. Assesses engineering, technical and scientific needs during a spill response and helps coordinate agency support to the Incident Command. 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. BSEE has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. Salary Range Information: GS-11: (Step 01) $69,107- (Step 10) $89,835 GS-12: (Step 01) $82,830- (Step 10) $107,680 GS-13: (Step 01) $98,496- (Step 10) $128,043 First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level. This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Requirements

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series/grade to which you are applying. (1) Basic Educational Requirements: 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 -- education equivalent to one of the majors 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. (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.

Education

Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Contacts

• Address Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement 45600 Woodland Road Sterling, VA 20166 US
• Name: Lindsey Lamastus
• Phone: 504-736-5784
• Email: [email protected]