Summary

Environmental Protection Specialist performs practical duties associated with air quality, storm water, hazardous materials programs, and sustainability programs. The specialist supports further development and implementation of VA's Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) They provide consultative support in the implementation of environmental sustainability programs and performs environmental reviews for construction projects.

Duties

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The environmental protection specialist is responsible for the implementation of environmental policies and regulatory program activities. Assignments also include responsibility for the technical adequacy of plans, designs, and specifications concerning environmental activities within a facility.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Administers environmental programs to assure compliance with applicable laws and regulation for air emissions, wastewater discharge, solid and hazardous waste, fuel and oil storage, and spill prevention, among other areas.
• Manages hazardous waste programs at VAPAHCS facilities including collection, segregation, manifesting, recordkeeping, contract management.
• Leads environmental audits and incident investigations, conducts root cause analysis, develops corrective actions, and tracks incidents to closure.
• Interacts with federal, state, and local environmental agencies with respect to facility environmental issues.
• Support the GEMS managers in other duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Position Description/PD#: Environmental Protection Specialist/PD00378O

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work may require some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing, or recurring and considerable walking, stooping, bending, crouching, and climbing. These may be performed during regular, periodic construction activities, filed inspections, or to observe and study work operations in an industrial, storage, or comparable work area. Work may also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items weighing less than 50 pounds, such as equipment and samples.
  
  • A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/29/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

• For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.
• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.
• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.

The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-7

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: practical duties associated with air quality, storm water, hazardous materials programs, and sustainability programs. Including developing and conducting outreach and education activities, evaluating compliance status issues, and drafting enforcement actions. . OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond post-high school education and experience to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-05.

GS-09

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: practical duties associated with air quality, storm water, hazardous materials programs, and sustainability programs. Including developing and conducting outreach and education activities, evaluating compliance status issues, and drafting enforcement actions. . OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade GS-07.

GS-11

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: practical duties associated with air quality, storm water, hazardous materials programs, and sustainability programs. Including developing and conducting outreach and education activities, evaluating compliance status issues, and drafting enforcement actions. . OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade GS-09.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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