Environmental Protection Specialist

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Anchorage Field Office, Department of the Interior

Job Summary

The Anchorage Field Office seeks an Environmental Protection Specialist to join our team! We manage 24 million acres of public lands from Southcentral Alaska to the Bering & Chukchi Seas. The area is home to over 150 tribes & native organizations. Our diverse landscape includes the Iditarod National Historic Trail; Unalakleet Wild River; and Campbell Tract, home to the most popular recreational trails in Anchorage. Our work is equally diverse: oil & gas, mining, recreation, and reindeer grazing.

Major Duties

The incumbent serves as a specialist for surface protection and reclamation, and is responsible for duties associated with surface disturbing activities as they relate to:

  • establishment and discovery of landfills on public lands
  • establishment of corporate operations that may have hazardous effects on public lands and surrounding ecosystems
  • discovery of hazardous material dumping or spillage
  • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) site management
  • oil & gas, and mining operations
  • exploration, development, reclamation, and environmental compliance on Federal split estate land within the district/field office
The natural resource environment spans a myriad of ecosystems which present a wide variety of conditions. The incumbent is responsible for:
  • conducting inspections and evaluations of proposed or existing hazardous materials sites
  • oil and gas exploration, and mining development projects
  • recommending mitigation measures for environmental impacts due to construction, operations, exploration and development
Physical Demands: The incumbent works in both office and field settings. Considerable remote field work is needed in order to gather data and perform onsite evaluations. The incumbent may be required to walk or ride vehicles over rough terrain, perform duties that require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching or lifting. Work may also include lifting moderately heavy items such as equipment and samples.

Work Environment: Work is performed in both office and field settings. When necessary to complete the work, there may by considerable outdoor exposure. Outdoor exposure requires some discomfort in extremes of temperature or inclement weather. The incumbent may be subjected to hostile wildlife, chemical and physical hazards.

Qualifications

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS- 09 grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 grade level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted). We must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume. 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. To be creditable, this experience must have been for 1 year and equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled. (If the position was seasonal, your resume must show periods worked. You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements: Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing the following duties: Apply natural resource science to plans to accomplish surface protection program goals; Interpret local, state, and/or Federal laws for hazardous waste cleanup and/or environmental protection activities; Assist with the inspection of proposed or abandoned drilling or mining sites to determine potential environmental impacts; Evaluate the results of environmental studies and surveys; AND Communicate technical information to diverse audiences; OR Education: Completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in environmental science, environmental management, environmental policy, or a directly related field; OR Combination: A combination of of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above which meets the total experience requirement. Only graduate education in excess of 2 years (36 semester hours) may be combined with experience. To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education required; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100%. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Pay Range

$71,583.00 - $93,056.00

More information...

End Date: 

Tuesday, March 31, 2020