Employee will be assigned to Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS), Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, providing professional technical services related to environmental issues and program planning to achieve compliance with regulations, requirements, and conformance with environmental management system programs. The Environmental Protection Specialist facilitates the facility's Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) implementation.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-12. At the GS-11 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-12. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Has responsibility for the health care system's GEMS program to include planning and implementation of program policy and procedures, ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations, as well as timely tracking of regulatory deadlines, shipping schedules, and hazardous waste locations and volumes. Manages environmental permits, ensuring that permits are written, followed, and modified as needed and completes all required actions to avoid violating permit requirements. Leads facility self-assessments, conducts significant surveys and inspections to determine compliance with applicable state, local, and federal environmental regulations, and evaluates program implementation. Advises organizations and services on procedural methods and process improvements, leads sustainability evaluations that cover a wide variety of environmental aspects and impacts, and oversees other environmental investigations and remedial actions. Maintains current files of local, state, and federal pollution control regulations and ensures that documentation is maintained to demonstrate compliance with regulations. Develops and implements health care system environmental policies, procedures, process improvements, and systems for environmental compliance and environmental management systems, focusing on meeting compliance requirements while reducing generation of wastes and increasing overall sustainability of the health care system. Authors reports documenting any regulatory non-compliance issues. Reviews construction projects plans and specifications for pollution control features to ensure compliance with established standards. Serves as an expert on the interpretation of environmental regulations and technical issues. Advises senior level management officials within the health care systems on the status of environmental programs and recommends changes in the process to meet new environmental requirements and/or reduce environmental impact. Serves as the primary point of contact with Federal, State, and local regulatory agencies with respect to health care system environmental issues when necessary to communicate concerns, to negotiate compliance matters, promote transparency, and build trust. Coordinates environmental compliance training for all staff, providing instruction on a variety of subjects related to specific and specialized environmental topics. Leads a multi-disciplinary, cross- functional committee of scientists, engineers, medical, and administrative professionals from different health care system services and organizations. Administers the Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Program and is responsible for the management of compliance and pollution prevention activities and for both internal and external reporting requirements. Completes strategic plans and long-range planning objectives to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs and recommendations for improvement. Serves as the content expert and provides technical oversight on environmental projects and administrative contracts. Reviews and approves projects in collaboration with other reviewing organizations. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. - AD HOC

Requirements

Qualifications

Note: This position requires a valid state driver's license. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: planning, implementing, and evaluating an environmental protection program; administering a green environmental management program/system; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations; advising management and providing technical advice on environmental programs; developing and implementing environmental policies and procedures; conducting audits; and preparing reports. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required) - Applicants must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required) - Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience, as described above, may be used to meet total qualification requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: CommunicationComplianceStandardsTechnical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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. Physical Requirements: The work includes frequent audits of waste storage areas and many other areas of the health care system, collection, and consolidation of wastes across the health care system, and clean-up of hazardous materials and wastes. The work involves walking, standing, bending, hand dexterity, climbing, carrying of items, and driving of government motor vehicles. During audits and inspections, there is regular exposure to all hazards and discomforts to which workers in the areas are subjected. This may include toxic chemicals, biohazards, physical stressors, and safety hazards. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]