ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER/PHYSICAL SCIENTIST Job in Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Vacancy No. D25-RV-12597605-OBAF Department Export-Import Bank of the United States
Salary $104,604.00 to $135,987.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/7/2024 Close Date 11/21/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)


Summary

Announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days of the closing date.

This position is also being announced concurrently under Merit Promotion (MP) procedures vacancy number: M25-RV-12597606-OBAF. Applicants who wish to also be considered under MP must apply to both vacancies separately.

About this agency

Duties

The position is within the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Office of Board Authorized Transactions (OBAF), Engineering and Environment Division (E&E). This division is responsible for technical reviews of transactions to implement the environmental and social policies and procedures of EXIM.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Uses environmental scientific mastery expertise as an environmental engineer or Physical Scientist which is required to oversee, monitor, and complete project related transactions and to undertake the evaluation of the project throughout the implementation, construction, and operating phases.
  • Provides consultation to domestic and international stakeholders regarding health, environmental and natural resources issues associated with exposures to environmental contaminants and chemical toxins.
  • Completes EXIM's environmental assignments, initiatives, activities, and projects which affect the work of various environmental engineer and scientific experts, top officials, or affects the development of major segments of the agency's programs.
  • Prepares written evaluations in accordance with EXIM environmental and social review procedures that address both beneficial and adverse environmental and social effects of the projects under review. Travels domestically and internationally as needed to attend transaction related environmental and social meetings.
  • Performs due diligence on projects, including pre-authorization site inspection, and monitoring of project construction and operations.
  • Monitors projects and evaluates progress/operating reports prepared by sponsors and/or independent consultants.
  • Serves as a professional Environmental spokesperson to Bank customers and stakeholders on all aspects of the Bank's environmental and social policies and procedures.
  • Interfaces with suppliers and project sponsors on issues concerning the environmental standards of products proposed for export and use, and the compliance of these products with EXIM's Environmental and Social Due Diligence Procedures and Guidelines.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship
  • Background and Security/Suitability Investigation
  • You may be required to serve a one year probationary period
  • Specialized experience MUST be documented on your resume
  • Current or Former Political Appointees: If you are, or have been employed in the last 5 years, you must disclose this information. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • The incumbent must obtain and maintain a national security (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/SCI) clearance.
  • The incumbent for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for EXIM.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:

Basic Requirements: Series 1301
  1. 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

  2. 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.
Basic Requirements: Series 0819

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

In addition to the Basic Requirements noted above, applicants must also meet and demonstrate the specialized experience listed below:

Specialized Experience (Credit for Specialized Experience on resume must reflect 40 hours/Full-time per week for each period of work):

GS-14: You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal Government or other equivalent pay systems. Specialized experience includes:
  • Experience and expertise to review and identify the potential environmental and social impacts and/or performance of pending and existing project related financial transactions. Such transactions are related to foreign and domestic projects that are subject to the agency's Environmental and Social Due Diligence Procedures and Guidelines (ESPG), host country environmental laws and regulations, and applicable U.S. domestic laws and regulations.
  • Experience assessing and/or developing appropriate mitigation or remediation of adverse environmental effects, recycling, and recovery of natural resources, and ensuring public health and safety.
  • Experience working on environmental and social issues for the purpose of informing policy makers and planners.
  • Experience collaborating with environmental and social stakeholders to gather data, conduct surveys, and identify the benefits and considerations of impacts to stakeholders, natural resources and the physical environment by project related activities.
Education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-14 grade level.

For qualification determinations, your resume must contain the following for each work experience listed:
  • Organization/Agency's Name
  • Title
  • Salary (series and grade, if applicable)
  • Start and end dates (including the month and year)
  • Number of hours you worked per week
  • Relevant experience that supports your response to the specialized experience that is stated in the job announcement
If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.

NOTE: Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications and your application may be marked as incomplete/ineligible and you will not receive consideration for this position.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined here.

All requirements must be met by 11/21/2024, the closing date of the announcement.

Education

When using education to meet the basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual please note that, education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. Please visit the following links for more information:

Additional information

The salary range varies according to the geographic area locality adjustments; therefore, rates advertised represent the base pay only as pay will depend upon the selectee's duty location. See the 2024 OPM GS pay table.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Pursuant to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) oversight authority under section 1104(b)(2) of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.) and section 5.2 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, OPM requires agencies to seek their approval prior to appointing any current or former political appointee to a permanent position (without time limits) in the civil service. A former or recent political appointee is someone who held a political appointment covered by OPM's policy within the previous 5-year period. OPM's oversight in this area safeguards merit system principles as well as fair and open competition free from political influence. If you are currently employed, or have been employed within the last 5 years, you must disclose this information. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Please visit the following link for the types of political appointments.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 80 or above based on the competencies listed above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information, please click here.

Veterans: All veterans must meet the qualification requirements of the position for further consideration. For more information on veterans' preference, please click here.

Selective Service: 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.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Ethical Standards/Financial Disclosure:

EXIM is committed to the highest ethical standards. As an employee, you will be covered by the criminal conflict of interest statutes and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. You will be required to complete new employee ethics training within 3 months of your appointment.

If this position is subject to financial disclosure requirements (either public or confidential depending upon your position), you will be required to complete a new entrant financial disclosure report within 30 days of your appointment.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The Category Rating method will be used to evaluate applicants. All qualified applicants will be assigned to one of the following categories:

  • Best Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies.
  • Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies to a substantive degree.
This Category Rating method does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied.

Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAJobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note: You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire.

If you are found qualified for this position and meet or exceed a predefined rating threshold from your questionnaire responses, a Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review your resume to determine if your technical competencies meet the proficiency requirements established for this position. You will be notified by email if your application is forwarded to the hiring official for further consideration.

If you do not meet the rating threshold to move forward to the next evaluation stage or it is determined that your technical competencies do not meet the proficiency requirements for this position, you will be notified by email.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

  • Your Resume (applicants are required to submit a resume with job title, series/grade (if federal employee), duties and accomplishments, employer's name, starting and ending dates of employment, number of hours worked per week, and annual salary). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • Unofficial Transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
  • Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
  • Special Priority Selection rights under CTAP or ICTAP:
    • Copy of your agency notice (RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc);
    • Copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating),
    • Most current SF-50 showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, position title, grade level, and duty location.
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD-214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran. Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF)15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter, if applicable. If a DD-214 (Member Copy 4) is not available, other documentation listing the beginning and ending dates of active service and the type of discharge must be submitted to verify eligibility.
  • Submission of any required documents listed in vacancy announcement, if applicable.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information/documents, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

How to Apply

Applications will only be accepted online; however if you are unable to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact Person listed below.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

The following is a link to preview the occupational questionnaire:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12597605

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/21/2024 to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  • To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account here, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Ryann Vinson
Address
Export-Import Bank of the United States
811 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20571
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After all application packages have been received, we will review your application to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information in the Occupational Questionnaire.

You will be notified by email if your application is forwarded to the hiring official for further consideration.

If you do not meet the rating threshold to move forward to the next evaluation stage or it is determined that your technical competencies do not meet the proficiency requirements for this position, you will be notified by email.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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