Summary This position is located at the Department of Homeland Security, U. S. Coast Guard, Environmental Management Division, Facilities Engineering Department, USCG Base Portsmouth, in Portsmouth, VA. Responsibilities In this position as an Environmental Specialist, you will be responsible for ensuring environmental operations comply with regulatory requirements and instructions to protect the natural, cultural, and human environment, and contribute to a safe and healthful workplace. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: lead unit authority for development and implementation of an appropriate environmental management system (EMS) / environmental compliance management plan (CMP) of sufficient scope and content to ensure the unit (installation) is continually in compliance with all environmental requirements at the federal, state, regional / local and department / organizational levels oversees and directs corrections of deficiencies for assigned program areas and activities, which involve a wide range of environmental laws and regulations control and management of environmental program areas and activities supports the installation's efforts to support and foster the intent and spirit of the Commandant's Sustainability, Environmental, and Energy Policy Statement (i.e. Coast Guard (CG) environmental policy statement, current edition) and the installation’s Environmental Policy Statement Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship is required. The position requires a valid state driver's license. This position requires a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI). Applicant is required to meet the physical requirements of the position. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service. This position may require occasional overtime work. Must be able to obtain and maintain an OSHA 40-hr certification (HAZWOPER) Must be able to obtain/maintain a USCG-issued Env Planning (NEPA) Warrant Must be able to obtain and maintain Contracting Officer's Rep certification All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. This includes Time-In-Grade requirements for current status employees applying through merit promotion procedures. Status applicants applying for a promotion must have 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade. Qualifications GS-11: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level (in the Federal sector). Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line work. Examples of specialized experience include: identifying and correcting areas of regulatory noncompliance during inspections; developing policy and/or standard operating procedures for an environmental program; advising management on matters concerning environmental compliance strategies. OR at least one of the following if using education to qualify at this grade level: (A) a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR (B) 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related. OR (C) A combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in or related to the work of this position AND education graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position and experience. Qualifications for GS-12: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level is required. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Examples include: Solving complex problems involving diverse aspects of environmental protection (e.g. performing investigations, inspections, or oversight activities of greater than average difficulty, as in a new program or a program that is being redefined, where procedures required frequent modification and change; modifying or adapting established methods and procedures or making significant departures from previous approaches to solve similar problems, revising standard methods to improve or extend environmental administration and/or management systems; and evaluating, modifying, or adapting new methods to meet the requirements of particular situations. Experience interpreting and applying environmental laws and related regulations such as NEPA, ESA, NHPA, CZMA, CWA, MBTA, Coral Reef Conservation Act and Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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. 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Education This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here Additional Information Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment. DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at click here Recruitment incentives may be authorized. If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s). All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 202-795-6284 Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation