Environmental Protection Specialist Job in FAA Flight Standards Duty Locations Nationwide

Vacancy No. AGL-AFX-26-0069-100639 Department Federal Aviation Administration
Salary $125,776.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/25/2026 Close Date 10/15/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
FAA Flight Standards Duty Locations Nationwide


Environmental Protection Specialist

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Standards Service, General Aviation and Commercial Branch, GA Section 2, FS-752

Summary

Provides guidance and direction relative to the compliance of environmental rules and regulations. Organizations and programs studied encompass locations throughout the National Airspace System requiring complex and interrelated negotiations and communications encompassing others line of business, state and federal agencies, tribal nations, and private entities.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent FAA employees.

Duties

Leads the Flight Standards environmental program as the recognized authority to ensure ongoing assessment of FAA business practices and their effect on the environment. Identifies environmental risks and develops abatement plans and key targets to reduce negative impacts on National Airspace Operations.

Prepares and reviews environmental documents including Environmental Assessments (EA). Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). Categorical Exclusions (CATEXs). Records of Decision (ROD) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

Forecasts future resource needs to manage emerging environmental issues. Works directly with Legal Counsel on issues and guidance on environmental projects & initiatives. Provides aviation specific environmental guidance to support FAA management and facilities. DoD proponents and Third- Party developers on environmental regulations in accordance with FAA O 1050.1 and FAA JO 7400.2.

Acts as the recognized authority on private party special instrument flight procedures and their obligations under environmental law. Serves as environmental advisor to private party filers, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws.

Negotiates controversial issues, planning and coordination, advising on work efforts, for the purpose of influencing or persuading others, negotiating agreement, and resolving conflicting diverse opinions.

Establishes programmatic guidelines for private party filers ensuring consistency across lines of business.

Ensures compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal and/state regulations as it relates to environmental reviews, aircraft noise analysis, and other NEPA policy relating items.

Ensures integration of key environmental and energy policies are included in all operational areas. Determines environmental technical requirements for contract services in all phases of environmental and general construction projects. Drafts appropriate environmental protection language incorporated into project specifications and scopes of work.

Tracks, monitors, and provides status reporting on all aspects of assigned program areas. Identifies, develops, tracks, and utilizes project funds. Ensures budget submissions are well justified, have valid cost estimates, justifications, background data if appropriate, and identifies local constraints. Provides cost, schedule, and methodology data to stakeholders for program and project implementation.

Identifies implementation-related program risks. Mitigates risk through the life of the project. Resolves programmatic issues to preclude negative impact on budget and schedule.

Provides leadership in developing and defining plans that impact environmental compliance in NAS operations. Leads the effort in influencing implementation priorities for each candidate program/project. Provides input to and reviews program costs and schedules all program-related activities. Forecasts future resource needs to manage emerging environmental and energy issues. Provides program management and consultation on key program areas such as drinking water, hazardous building materials management, and environmental restoration.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-I, FG-13. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes expert knowledge of the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), and other Federal environmental laws and regulations related to the environmental aspects of issuing authorizations for UAS operations; and resolution of problems that have future implications and obligate the FAA to fiscal commitments. Knowledge of statutes, regulations, licensing/permitting requirements, and precedent decisions governing environmental operations sufficient to use in planning implementing or monitoring environmental programs and services (e.g., determining needs, evaluating program effectiveness, assuring compliance with regulations such as the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), and other Federal environmental laws and regulations. Expert knowledge of environmental specialties such as SHPO Coordination, Tribal processes, and environmental noise analysis.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies. www.faa.gov/jobs/workinghere/financial-disclosure-requirements

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA); Demonstrated Abilities; Leadership and Management Dimensions; or Other Factors listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Incomplete Applications:

Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

Duty Location:

Selectee will be required to report to an FAA Aviation Safety (AVS) Duty Location.

In-grade/downgrade applications will be accepted.

This is a bargaining unit position, represented by the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (www.passnational.org)

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Required Documents

Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) must be submitted.

If you are an FAA employee, you MUST provide a copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) containing information in Blocks 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, and 24 so it can be used to verify your position title, series, grade, tenure, and organization of record by the closing date of the announcement. You may fax your SF-50 or upload it into the on-line application. If faxing the SF-50, please ensure you include the vacancy announcement number on the faxed copy.

If you are an FAA employee, you can access and print your SF-50 from the eOPF system https://eopf.opm.gov/dot/.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Applicants may be required to complete one or multiple assessments as part of the evaluation process. This assessment aims to evaluate the competencies and qualifications essential for the position.

You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register.

RESUMES ARE LIMITED TO TWO PAGES. IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC AND INCLUDE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)

  • Relevant work experience: should align to the Job Announcement and address all required qualifications and include job title, employer name, start/end dates, number of hours worked per week.
  • Education, certification or licensure: If required, education should include school/institution name, completion date, degree type and GPA.

Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible.

You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies.

Agency contact information

Parris Zaragoza
Phone
1 (847) 294-7769
Fax
1 (847) 294-7858
Email
parris.a.zaragoza@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
AGL Regional HR Services Branch
2300 E. Devon Ave., Room 250
AHF-N310
Des Plaines, IL 60018
US

Next steps

Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.

Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.

All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.

Federal Aviation Administration

At the FAA, the sky is not the limit—it is just the beginning. Exciting new opportunities are emerging in aviation and aerospace. Significant investments are advancing the research and development of autonomous vehicles, environmentally friendly electric aircraft, high-speed and long-endurance solar-powered aircraft, and new types of space vehicles. Success with these new technologies and vehicle types will introduce new ways to transport people and goods expanding aviation's footprint in transportation. People are our strength. We are a diverse workforce of over 44,000 located nationwide and spanning over 120 occupations to include air traffic control specialists, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, scientists, technicians, and business professionals. Join us in our mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.

Agency contact information

Parris Zaragoza
Phone
1 (847) 294-7769
Fax
1 (847) 294-7858
Email
parris.a.zaragoza@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
AGL Regional HR Services Branch
2300 E. Devon Ave., Room 250
AHF-N310
Des Plaines, IL 60018
US

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