Job opening: Physical Scientist
Salary: $103 409 - 134 435 per year
Relocation: YES
Published at: Nov 15 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.
This position is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Information about Salt Lake City and the surrounding area can be found here.
We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.
Duties
This position serves as a Physical Scientist for the Division of Lands and Minerals at the Utah State Office.
Serves as the program lead to Utah State Office, field office management, and the Abandoned Mine Lands and Hazardous Materials Management (AML/HMM) Program for Utah.
Principal advisor and Remedial Project Manager (RPM), On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) for multiple clean-up sites and other Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) projects on public land.
Primary contact with Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), state regulatory agencies, federal trustees, and other involved with either AML physical safety hazards and CERCLA response actions at designated sites in the region on behalf of the BLM.
Directs all technical work conducted at assigned CERCLA sites in the manner set forth in the National Contingency Plan (NCP).
Coordinates hazardous materials contingency plans statewide integration of those plans with local, state, and regional plans in accordance with National Contingency Plan, and regulations under 40 CFR 300.
Serves as the principal spokesperson according to the NCP and represents the Agency in contacts with the public, elected officials, staff of involved Federal, State and/or local agencies, and the news media.
Serves as NRDAR case manager (CM) for sites that have been selected for NRDAR assessment.
Serves as an Environmental Professional for All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) and is responsible for conducting or overseeing AAIs conducted within the assigned area of jurisdiction.
Requirements
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
- You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
- Direct Deposit Required.
- Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
- Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
- If selected for this position, you will be required to annually complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty.
- May require a one year probationary period.
Qualifications
Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:
Required to obtain Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) certification (level 1) within one year of employment, and a COR level 2 within an appropriate amount of time aft er the COR level 1 is achieved.
In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
In addition to the Basic Education requirements, to qualify at the GS-13 level you must meet the following:
Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level equivalent in difficulty and complexity to perform the duties of a Physical Scientist. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Coordinating remedial actions for hazardous waste disposal; identifying and coordinating the mitigation of environmental and physical safety hazards; preparing assessment plans, and/or overseeing assessment studies and analyses; planning and implementing of clean-up efforts for targeted areas posing potential health and/or safety hazards; interpreting guidance on remedial actions and/or providing information to management based on regulations.
Please note there are no educational substitutions at this grade level.
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.
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.
Physical Demands: The incumbent will utilize various modes of transportation to travel and perform assignments with little or no advance notice. Assignments may require performing duties under adverse weather conditions (extreme heat or cold). Considerable walking, stooping, bending, and climbing such as in performing construction activities, observe and study work operations, and conducting field inspections of potential hazardous material disposal sites. Duties may require protective equipment including a containment suit and donning of respiratory equipment. Failure to comply with established standards could result in the endangerment of the incumbent and co-workers. Incumbent may be required to lift equipment and samples weighing up to 50 lbs.
Work Environment: In addition to working in an office setting, the work involves regular and recurring exposure associated with superfund cleanup sites. The incumbent must adhere to HAZWOPER standards, policies, practices, and procedures when participating in hazardous waste, emergency response, and cleanup operations involving hazardous substances. Known exposures include moderate risk, discomfort, and unpleasantness related to toxic chemicals, a variety of temperatures, potentially adverse weather conditions, contagious diseases, carcinogenic materials, noxious fumes, flammable liquids, radiation, and/or potentially pathogenic bacteria. HAZWOPER training and strict compliance with OSHA standards aims to prevent and minimize the possibility of worker injury and illness resulting from potential exposures to hazardous substances. Specialized safety training is required in order to meet field health and safety standards. Special safety precautions such as protective clothing and gear are necessary.
Education
This position has a positive education requirement which requires:
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
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.
If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.
Contacts
- Address BLM Utah State Office
BLM Utah State Office, UT-953
400 West 200 South
Suite 500
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
US
- Name: BLM Utah HR Recruitment Team
- Email: [email protected]
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