Summary
This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Office of Civil Enforcement, Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division.
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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This position is located in the immediate office of the Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division (WCED), Office of Civil Enforcement (OCE), in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is a Senior Executive Service (SES) position located in Washington, DC.
The Director serves as an advisor to OECA's Assistant Administrator (AA), Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator (PDAA), and Deputy Assistant Administrator(s) (DAAs). WCED is the national program manager for regulatory enforcement programs under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Air Act 112(r), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and other statutes. WCED ensures that nationally significant issues in civil administrative and judicial cases are managed, litigated, and resolved in a manner consistent with national policy.
The Director, Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division provides national leadership for civil enforcement and compliance assurance under the waste and chemical statutes and programs.
Specific duties of this position may include, but are not limited to:
- Leading and managing the Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division, its personnel and its activities, consistent with OECA AA direction.
- Planning, directing, developing, organizing, and implementing the major programs for which the WCED has responsibility over, including national enforcement activities, enforcement of rules and regulations, and providing legal and technical counsel related to TSCA, FIFRA, RCRA, and other environmental laws and regulations.
- Selecting, assigning, and providing leadership and guidance to a team of attorneys, engineers, inspectors, and scientists to protect public health and the environment.
- Developing, issuing, and enforcing national enforcement and compliance assurance priorities, policies, and regulations.
- Developing, implementing, and evaluating the the needs, priorities, policies, procedures, goals, short and long range plans, budgets, organizational structure, and performance of the Division.
- Providing guidance and counsel to ensure national consistency in case development, litigation strategy, settlement terms, and appeals to EPA Regions and Programmatic offices.
- Representing the Division, Office, and Agency on and to other federal agencies, state and local governments, industry, academia, tribes, public interest organizations, conferences, work groups, seminars, and other meetings.
- Providing the full range of supervisory human resources functions to the Division's employees.
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 has education requirements. See Qualifications/Education section.
EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course-listings.
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 General Attorney, 0905 series. Applicants must have a LL.M or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar of one of these jurisdictions. The incumbent must have significant experience in providing legal advice and counsel at EPA; other federal, state, or local agencies; or in private practice.
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 leading and/or managing attorneys and technical staff in complex enforcement and litigation matters involving federal environmental protection laws, regulations, and/or programs.
Education
You must:
(1) possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law; and
(2) be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; and
(3) be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing.
NOTE: Bar membership and licensure are not required at the time of application, but you must be admitted to the bar and obtain your license before entry on duty.
For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation.
Additional information
Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
A relocation incentive may be offered to the selected candidate if applicable criteria are met. If you are selected and accept a relocation incentive, you must sign/date a written service agreement in which you commit to complete a specified period of employment with the agency at the new duty station. NOTE: A relocation incentive is not full reimbursement of all relocation expenses.
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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.
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.
