Sustainability and Green Buildings Program Advisor Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. M-2025-0015 Department Office of Governmentwide Policy
Salary $139,395.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/26/2024 Close Date 1/2/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

As a Sustainability and Green Buildings Program Advisor, you will plan, evaluate, and manage green buildings and sustainability programs.

Location of position: General Services Administration, Office of Government-wide Policy, Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, Washington, DC.

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Duties

THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT WILL CLOSE WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVED 100 APPLICATIONS WHICH MAY BE SOONER THAN THE CLOSING DATE. LEARN MORE.

  • Plan, evaluate, and manage green buildings and sustainability programs; resolving problems and recommending solutions; serving as a liaison between federal agencies and GSA offices to convey information or provide clarity on programs; and preparing reports and papers.
  • Serve as an expert for sustainability programs that effect buildings such as climate change and greenhouse gas accounting; emerging buildings technology; sustainable building research; water conservation and storm water management; building performance measurement and benchmarking; the effects of buildings on human performance; or operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings; waste management, indoor air quality management, and federal regulations.
  • Provide key input to policy development and implementation based on analysis of references such as United States Code and the Code of Federal Regulations, Comptroller General and GAO audit decisions, and other legal precedents available to interpret these legal sources.
  • Apply a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods to assess and improve program effectiveness.
  • Provide advice to Federal Agencies and others on interpretation of governing policy in federal high-performance green buildings and sustainability program areas.

This position has job functions that must be executed within a specific geographic location. The official duty station is a federal facility, leased space, or an alternative worksite (typically the employee’s home). Positions include routine telework and remote work arrangements that are geographically specific to: Washington, DC.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizens and National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 4 investigation level).
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee.  We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

  • the exact dates you held  each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).    

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here

The GS-14 salary range starts at $139,395 per year.  If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.  

To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes executing, planning, or managing major agency green buildings and/or sustainability programs; serving as a technical advisor, providing leadership, collaborating with federal agencies to implement decisions made on sustainability efforts; providing expert advice and recommendations on sustainability programs, including policy development and implementation; and applying research, analysis, and interpretation of federal regulations to such programs. Examples of environmental or sustainability programs may include: climate change planning and mitigation; greenhouse gas accounting; measurement and benchmarking of high-performance buildings; emerging building technology; sustainable building research; water conservation and storm water management; effects of buildings on human performance; operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings; waste management; indoor air quality management; federal regulations regarding energy management and high performance green buildings.

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Status: This position is ineligible for the bargaining unit.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

·   Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

If you are eligible under Merit Promotion, you may also apply under Vacancy Announcement #M-2025-0014.  You must apply separately to each announcement to be considered for both.

GSA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility that goes beyond our compliance with EEO regulations including: 
  • Valuing and embracing diversity, promoting equity, inclusion and accessibility, and expecting cultural competence; and
  • Fostering a work environment where all employees, customers and stakeholders feel respected and valued.
Our commitment is: 
  • Reflected in our policies, procedures and work environment;
  • Recognized by our employees, customers and stakeholders; and
  • Drives our efforts to recruit, attract, retain and engage the diverse workforce needed to achieve our mission.

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.

We will use a method called Category Rating to assess your application.  Here’s how it will work:

You will be scored on the questions you answer during the application process, which will measure your possession of the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • Knowledge of the Federal government's high-performance green buildings, energy, sustainability and environmental programs, its governing laws, regulations, methodologies and/or policies to provide sound and authoritative technical guidance on all related issues.
  • Knowledge of environmental management principles, techniques, theories, and practices.
  • Knowledge of business applications to apply theories and new developments to problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods and to make decisions or recommendations significantly changing, interpreting or developing important public policies or programs.
  • Skills to apply a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness.
  • Skill in oral communications to present sensitive recommendations to higher authority, to obtain compliance with policies from activities nationwide, to articulate positions/policy of vast technical complexity and to represent the agency on task forces.

Your answers to the questions will be used to place you in one of the following categories and standard score ranges: 

  • Best Qualified = Candidates scoring between 95 - 100
  • Well Qualified = Candidates scoring between 85 - 94 (Well Qualified for CTAP/ICTAP)
  • Qualified = Candidates scoring between 70 - 84

We will verify your answers to the questions in your resume.  If your resume doesn’t support your answers, we may lower your score, which could place you in a lower category.

Within each category, veterans will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

Additional hurdle assessments, such as narrative responses or other assessments, may be administered to applicants who meet the requirements of the first hurdle, e.g., the minimum qualification requirements. If additional assessments are used, you will be provided with further instructions.

If you are eligible under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP), you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit.

Your resume showing applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.

If you are claiming veterans’ preference:
(a)
Copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 that shows your type of discharge and the dates of your active duty service.
(b) If you are claiming 10-point preference or derived preference (a spouse, widow or widower, or parent of a deceased or disabled veteran), submit both of the following in addition to the DD-214:  (1) completed SF-15 form; and (2) proof of your entitlement (refer to SF-15 for complete list).

If you are active duty military - Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).

If you are ICTAP/CTAP eligible - submit a, b, and c: (a) proof of eligibility including agency notice; (b) SF-50, and (c) most recent performance appraisal.

Current or Former Political Appointees: Submit SF-50.  

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

Submit a complete online application including any required documents prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement. You can modify or complete your application any time before the deadline. Simply return to USAJOBS, select the vacancy, and update your application.  For more detailed instructions on how to apply, click here: Apply for a GSA Job.

If you are having issues applying to this announcement, you should switch to a different browser, network or device. Note: Your firewall may block your transfer from USAJOBS to your GSA application. 

To begin, click the Apply Online button on the vacancy announcement.

  • Sign in or register on USAJobs and select a resume and documents to include in your application.
  • Once you have clicked Apply for this position now, you will be taken to the GSA site to complete the application process.
  • Click the Apply To This Vacancy and complete all steps in the application process until the Confirmation indicates your application is complete. If you click Return to USAJobs or get timed out prior to receiving confirmation, your application will not be submitted and cannot be considered for this vacancy.
  • Note: Review the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement to determine which apply to you and must be submitted online. You may choose one or more of the following options to submit your document(s): Upload (from your computer) or USAJOBS (click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process).

Need Assistance? 

  • Questions or issues completing an application and/or submitting documentation - contact mgshelp@monster.com or 1-866-656-6831 Monday-Friday 7AM - 7PM EST, except for Federal holidays
  • Specific questions on the position - contact the HR representative (Monday-Friday during normal business hours) listed on the announcement, prior to the application deadline

You must receive HR approval before deviating from these instructions.

Be sure to APPLY EARLY as most assessments must be completed fully and submitted before the announcement closing.

Agency contact information

Tomiko Conklin
Phone
571-368-8429
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
tomiko.conklin@gsa.gov
Address
GSA, Office of Governmentwide Policy
General Services Administration (GSA)
Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)
1800 F Street NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20405
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the closing date/deadline:

  1. ELIGIBILITY/QUALIFICATIONS: Applicant eligibility and qualifications are reviewed.
  2. REFERRAL TO MANAGEMENT: Eligible/Qualified applicants are referred to management for review and possible interview.
  3. SELECTION/TENTATIVE JOB OFFER: If a selection is made, a Tentative Offer is extended to the selectee and suitability and/or security background investigation is conducted.
  4. FINAL JOB OFFER: A final job offer is made (typically within 40 days after the closing date/deadline for applications).
  5. FINAL COMMUNICATION TO APPLICANTS: Once the position is filled, we will notify you of your status. You may also check your application status by logging into USAJOBS and clicking “Track this Application” on the Applicant Dashboard.

Thank you for your interest in working for U.S. General Services Administration!


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