ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST

U.S. Department of the Interior; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Environmental Protection Specialist position with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Atlanta, GA supports NEPA compliance, environmental policy implementation, and coordination across bureaus within the region.

At the full performance level (GS-14), duties include leading regional environmental protection initiatives, representing the Department on interagency teams, and coordinating responses to natural and environmental incidents in alignment with federal frameworks.

Qualifications

• Resume must not exceed 2 pages.
• Application materials will be evaluated on experience and competencies.
• USA Hire assessment may be required for qualification.

Responsibilities

• Provides guidance on NEPA compliance and environmental policy within Interior.
• Coordinates environmental issues across Bureaus and offices.
• Represent the Department on committees and response teams for environmental matters.
• Lead regional protection of natural and cultural resources during emergencies.

Skills

Attention to detail

Customer service

Decision making

Flexibility

Influencing/negotiating

Integrity/honesty

Interpersonal skills

Learning

Reading comprehension

Reasoning

Self-management

Stress tolerance

Teamwork

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Policy Management & Budget, Office of Environmental Policy & Compliance in ATLANTA, GEORGIA. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Major Duties

As an Environmental Protection Specialist for the Office of the Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Policy Management & Budget, Office of Environmental Policy & Compliance, at the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides advice and guidance to bureaus in the region with the implementation of departmental environmental policy and management guidance for Interior's Bureaus and offices, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance programs, reviews, and multi-bureau departmental Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and other issues pursuant to NEPA and the Department's delegated responsibilities.
• Reviews and coordinates environmental compliance issues that cross Bureaus' lines of authority, which meet certain criteria and often involve controversial subjects or those having specific Secretarial interest.
• Represents the Department on committees, working groups, task forces, and response teams with other governmental and non-governmental entities to deal with a wide range of environmental matters with regional or statewide implications that fall within the purview of the Department's authorities and/or programs.
• Serves as the Department's regional lead for the protection of natural and cultural resources and historic properties during both emergency and remedial response activities in support of the National Response Framework for Emergency Support Function (ESF) #10 and ESF #11, and the National Disaster Recovery Framework for Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Support Function (NCR RSF).
• Participates as the Department's representative on Regional Response Teams, Area/Sub-Area Committees, and international Joint Response Teams, for oil discharges, hazardous substance releases, natural disasters, and terrorism incidents in their region in compliance with the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP).
• Serve as the Department's regional point of contact for notification, and distributing notices to the bureaus of oil and hazardous substance spills occurring in the region and provides advice and assistance to Federal, State, Tribal, and/or foreign governments regarding response activities.
• Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. This position requires after hours duties 24/7 for emergencies such as oil and hazardous substances spill coordination. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. 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.

*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Evaluations

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the \"Resume\" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in your application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. To preview the application questionnaire, visit https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13078890. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) -10/26/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed 2 single-sided pages and resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessment(s). Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor dated within the past 18 months. If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration. All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Eligibility Documentation: Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s. Veterans Preference Documentation: Veterans eligible under VRA (GS-11 & below only), VEOA, 30% or more Disabled, or Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program must submit the most recent Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions (e.g. DD-214) as listed on the SF15. If you are a Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all documentation as listed on the SF15. You may request a copy of the VA letter from https://www.va.gov/records. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Special Appointing Authorities: If you are applying under a special appointing authority (i.e. Schedule A, Peace Corps, Military Spouses, etc.), you must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. If you fail to submit proof, you will not receive consideration. If you're eligible for an authority not listed, you are responsible for submitting documentation that's appropriate for that specific authority. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the \"Resume\" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Physical Demands/Work Environment: The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required, e.g., walking, standing, carrying light items during periodic site visits. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.