Environmental Protection Specialist
Who may apply
Limited to the following applicant groups:
- Internal to an agency
6 days left to apply
Salary context
Based on 21 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays above most similar positions.
Job Details
Position Overview
This position is part of the Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security, Department of Energy. As an Environmental Protection Specialist, you will serve as the technical expert to assist Headquarters and field management officials on all items related to analytical laboratory operations including environmental sample collection, analysis, data quality, and data validation.Duties
The Department of Energy's mission is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.
The mission of the Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security as the Department's central organization, is to be responsible for health, safety, environment, and security; providing corporate-level leadership and strategic vision to coordinate and integrate these vital programs. EHSS is responsible for policy development and technical assistance; safety analysis; and corporate safety and security programs. EHSS advises DOE Senior Leadership on all matters related to environment, health, safety and security across the complex.
We are truly honored that DOE has been named America's #1 Best Employer for Veterans in 2023 by Forbes-not only among Government agencies, but among employers across the U.S. We are so proud of this ranking which reflects our commitment to the employment of veterans. As so many veterans at DOE renew their service to our Nation, we are deeply committed to their success and advancement. Veterans shape the future of energy
As an Environmental Protection Specialist, you will:
- Provide overall authoritative leadership, strategic direction, and long-range planning for complex, agency-wide environmental protection, management, and sustainability programs.
- Translate federal environmental laws and regulations into Department-wide policy direction, drafting complex rules, standards, and operating guidance.
- Lead reviews, assessments, and audit including the DOE Consolidated Audit Program (DOECAP) to evaluate environmental compliance, waste management, and quality assurance across facilities nationwide.
- Serve as a technical authority providing expert advice to senior DOE management, external agencies, and stakeholders on high-visibility, sensitive, or unprecedented environmental issues.
- Represent the Department in national and international forums, chairs interagency workgroups, and negotiate solutions on controversial regulatory and environmental matters.
- Oversee contractor activities, review technical/analytical data standards (e.g., UFP-QAPP, DoD/DOE QSM, ISO/IEC 17025), and manage technical assistance regarding waste treatment, storage, and disposal operations.
Qualifications & Requirements
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:
- Conducting audits, inspections, or technical reviews of environmental testing laboratories or hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities to ensure they meet federal, state, or industry safety and environmental standards.
- Applying formal quality assurance and quality control standards to environmental sampling and lab analysis (such as ISO lab standards, federal or state environmental testing guidelines, or nuclear quality assurance rules) to ensure environmental testing data is accurate and reliable.
- Providing advice or direction on the handling, treatment, storage, or disposal of hazardous, low-level radioactive, or mixed waste under major environmental laws (such as RCRA or CERCLA) or equivalent environmental safety rules.
Education cannot be substituted for specialized experience at the GS-15 grade level.
"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.
Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.
Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration, and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
There are no specific education requirements or substitution of education for experience for this position.Conditions of Employment
- You must be a United States Citizen.
- This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
- If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
- If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- This position is not remote, the selectee will be expected to report to the duty station(s) listed. If selected, military spouses, veteran caregivers, and spouses of foreign service employees may be eligible for applicable workplace flexibilities.
- This position does not support 100% remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified in the vacancy announcement.
- You are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OEGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of entering the position and annually.
- This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter.
- Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
- This position has been designated as Critical-Sensitive, High Risk and requires a security clearance at the Q level. The incumbent is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
- This position is not included in a Bargaining Unit.
- You may be required to travel up to 40% of the time for this position.
Evaluations
Your application will be assessed based on your responses to an online assessment that measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. For applicants applying under Merit Promotion or VEOA procedures, your score on this assessment will determine if you are considered a 'best qualified' candidate. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Use specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position.
- Attention to Detail
- Compliance Inspection
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Environmental Engineering
- Flexibility
- Hazardous Materials
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Quality Assurance
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date ( 08/25/2026) of this announcement.
To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13038826.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:- Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
- Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
- Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
- SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees): Most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
- Read all instructions before you begin.
- Click "Apply Online."
- Complete the application and attach all required documents.
- Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 08/25/2026.
- Max 2 pages and 5MB file size.
- PDF is recommended to preserve formatting; we also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC/DOCX). No PDF portfolios.
- Use clear fonts like Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans.
- Set 0.5-inch margins.
- Use 14-point font for titles, 10-point for main text.
- Update: Edit your application in USAJOBS before the closing date.
- Status: Log into USAJOBS to view your application status. Learn more here: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
- USAJOBS Help: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ for login.gov or USAJOBS assistance.
- Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
- Non-competitive Procedures: If you are applying under a non-competitive or special hiring authority, you will still be required to complete the assessment. However, you will not be evaluated against the rating and ranking criteria. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you are minimally qualified for this job. Veterans' Preference will be applied when required by the hiring authority (e.g., VRA, Schedule A).
- All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
- Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.