Environmental Appeals Judge

Environmental Appeals Judge; Washington (District of Columbia); Sur place; USD 170 000 - 210 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Environmental Appeals Board in the SES seeks a senior attorney to act as final decision maker on complex environmental appeals under major statutes. This role requires deep legal expertise, strategic judgment, and the ability to work with Congress, other agencies, industry, and the public.

Applicants must have an LL.M. or J.D., be admitted to at least one U.S. jurisdiction, and demonstrate progressive leadership experience for SES eligibility, including ECQ and TQ compliance.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience at a level close to the work.
• Experience in litigation involving federal pollution control laws and federal or state administrative law.
• Progressively responsible leadership experience indicative of senior management capability.

Responsabilités

• Serve as final decision maker in appeals and requests under major environmental statutes.
• Direct receipt, processing, review, and analysis of appeals for decision making.
• Hear and resolve novel legal issues under Federal Administrative law and APA.
• Represent the Administrator in adjudicatory matters with Congress, agencies, industry and public.

Connaissances

Litigation experience

Senior attorney leadership

Formation

J.D./LL.M. degree

Description du poste

Summary

This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is in the Office of the Administrator, Office of Civil Rights and Adjudication, Environmental Appeals Board Division. About the Office of the Administrator. This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.

Duties

• Serving as the final decision maker in the consideration and resolution of appeals or other requests for a decision in all administrative proceedings under the Clean Air Act, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, Solid Waste Disposal Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Clean Water Act, Noise Control Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986, and the Equal Access to Justice Act, in accordance with procedural regulations governing the conduct of such proceedings under which the Administrator has delegated authority to the Environmental Appeals Board.
• Directing the receipt, processing, review, and analysis of appeals or other requests to the Administrator for decision making.
• Hearing and resolving novel and difficult factual and legal issues in accordance with Federal Administrative law(s) as seen in the Administrative Procedure Act and pertinent court decision.
• Making recommendations and serving as factfinder on issues for which an independent and objective analysis is required.
• Representing the Administrator in adjudicatory matters with internal and external partners, including, but not limited to: Congress, Agency Administrative Law Judges, Assistant and Associate Administrators, Regional Administrators, as well as industry, academia, state and local governments, the public and non-governmental groups.
• Developing and providing advice to Agency personnel on new or revised administrative procedures.
• Performing the full range of human resources functions and duties for the Environmental Appeals Board staff.

Requirements

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. #LI-Onsite

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 in litigation involving matters arising under the federal pollution control laws and under federal or state administrative law, including substantial experience in legal brief or opinion writing, legal issue analysis, and dispute resolution under these laws.
• TQ 2 - Demonstrated experience leading, managing and/or supervising senior attorneys with extensive legal experience.

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.

EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: E-Verify.

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.

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.

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. Learn 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.