Summary

This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is in the Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management. About OW.

This is an office-centered positionyou must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.

Duties

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The Deputy Director of the Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) shares fully with the Office Director in providing national direction for key Clean Water Act programs, including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting, pretreatment, and sewage sludge management programs. In addition, OWM oversees major water infrastructure funding and financing efforts such as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan program, and related grants and assistance programs. OWM develops and shares technical information to support states, tribes, territories, utilities, and communities; leads the development and oversight of effluent limitations guidelines, analytical methods, and the national Alternative Testing Procedures program; and collaborates on research addressing wastewater contaminants and related human health and environmental risks. The office advances national strategies on water conservation and reuse, conducts broad stakeholder outreach and coordination, and develops program policy and regulations.

Specific duties of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Overseeing day-to-day operations of OWM, including administrative activities, financial and facility operations, human resources, etc., and ensuring compliance with all applicable Agency policies.
• Managing office activities to ensure processes, policies, and resources are in place to enable successful mission accomplishment, including interpreting policies, providing review for plans and programs, and evaluating the progress of existing programs.
• Directing work to ensure success of projects and programs, including overseeing the development of the annual budget and explaining that budget to Agency stakeholders.
• Representing and acting for the Director at Agency and interagency meetings to discuss complex matters relating to policy, strategic planning, and other programmatic areas of OWM's portfolio.
• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including other federal and state agencies, professional and scientific organizations, and the public.
• Supervising a large staff of employees organized into units headed by subordinate managers and supervisors.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen.

If you are selected, you must complete a 1-year SES probationary period, if not previously completed.

The Ethics in Government Act, P.L. 95-521, requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278, prior to assuming the SES position, annually, and upon termination of employment.

REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs.

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.

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Qualifications

The work of this position is classified in the Program Management, 0340 series where the qualifications include both general management skills and characteristics that are applicable to all SES positions and technical or program responsibilities specific to this position. Applicants must have substantive general experience which provides a good basic or general knowledge of the principles of organization, management and administration; and substantive specialized (operating administrative or managerial) experience in a type of work or a combination of functions directly related to this position.

All applicants must have one year of specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that demonstrates the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform in this role. Typically this experience can be found in work within this field or a field that is closely related.

As a basic requirement for entry into the Senior Executive Service, applicants must also provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications listed below.

A. Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) - Mandatory for competitive applicants - Failure to address these factors within the required 2-page resume will result in your application being disqualified, unless you are a noncompetitive eligible applicant.

ECQ 1 - COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICAN FOUNDING. Involves demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

ECQ 2 - DRIVING EFFICIENCY. Involves demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

ECQ 3 - MERIT AND COMPETENCE. Involves demonstrated knowledge, ability, and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

ECQ 4 - LEADING PEOPLE. Involves demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and hold individuals accountable.

ECQ 5 - ACHIEVING RESULTS. Involves demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Your responses should be clear and concise and show a level of accomplishment and a degree of responsibility. Leadership competencies for each ECQ can be found in OPM's Guide to SES Qualifications.

B. Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Mandatory for all applicants - Failure to address these factors within the required 2-page resume will result in your application being disqualified.

TQ 1 - Demonstrated experience managing a complex multi-disciplinary scientific and/or technical organization, including the implementation of environmental compliance, regulatory, and/or financial programs (e.g. development of guidance, technical and financial assistance programs, program evaluation, data acquisition and management, etc.).

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

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 designated as SES General. The PLUM Act of 2022 requires the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to host a public-facing website with information on "policy and supporting positions" for the sitting Administration and each subsequent Administration. Consistent with historical reporting in the Plum Book, information on this position will be reported on the PLUM reporting website, including agency, component, location of the position, employee name, title, appointment type, pay plan, grade or level of pay (if applicable), and tenure and expiration date (if applicable). It is not possible to decline being listed on the website if appointed to this position.

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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.

Benefits

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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.

Join EPA in protecting human health and the environment and enjoy many work life quality options! Working for the EPA offers you a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, 26 days of paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. To learn more about us, visit Life and Careers at EPA.

If you are selected for this position, situational telework may be approved by your supervisor if you meet eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy.

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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.