Requirements
Conditions of employment
#LI-DNI
You must meet time-in-grade requirements no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement.
This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.
If you are selected, you must complete (or have already completed) a 1-year supervisory or managerial probationary period.
Upon acceptance of an initial appointment to a supervisory or managerial position with the EPA, you agree to complete all elements of the EPA Successful Leaders Program. This development program is designed to enhance leadership competencies and meet the agency's goal of providing new leaders with the tools needed for success.
Qualifications
NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
To qualify for the GS-15 level, you must have 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level defined as providing leadership and oversight of engagement with elected officials; leading a team or staff to achieve established objectives; and leading program evaluation and policy implementation in compliance with statutory and administrative requirements.
You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully:
- Strategic Thinking
- Supervisory and Leadership Judgment
- Stakeholder Management
- Organizational Awareness
- Technical Competence
- Coaching and Developing Others
- Managing Employees
- Problem Solving
- Customer Service
- Performance Measurement
- Planning and Evaluating
- Leadership
- Accountability
- Decisiveness
- Flexibility
- Interpersonal Skills
- Resilience
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.
*If you have part-time work experience, read this:
Part-Time Experience.
Additional information
Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): CTAP/ICTAP
NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must have a score of 87 or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section).
If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.
This position is not in the bargaining unit.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.
The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA's Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:
- If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.
- If you need to request a reasonable accommodation to complete the assessment, see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for information on how to make the request (the EPA is not involved in this process).
- If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official's office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA's National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at disabilityaccommodations@epa.gov.
- If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.
Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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.
Benefits will not change for current permanent EPA employees.
Position does not have portable work and selectee may not telework.
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.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualification requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses (if applicable) to all assessments required for this position.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13030089
If you are eligible for consideration, you will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Flexibility, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, and Resilience
If you pass the first assessment, one or more subject matter experts will systematically review your resume to assess the degree to which your background matches the following competencies required for successful performance in this position:
Supervisory and Leadership Judgment, Stakeholder Management, and Planning and Evaluating
The score calculated based on the assessment will be used to determine if you are among the best qualified candidates.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating (including the use of a consultant or an AI tool to assist you) on any assessment may result in your removal from consideration for this job.
If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments by the selecting official (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.).
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire assessment, you will be granted the opportunity to request an RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire assessment and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire assessment. Decisions on requests for RA 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 assessment, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire assessment if you received the link after the announcement closes. To determine if you need an RA, please review
Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.