Summary DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position. This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available. Responsibilities This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD), Preparedness Verification Branch, Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Preparedness (OSP) Section, located in Jefferson, LA. At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Provides guidance, expert advice, training, and instruction to staff of the Branch on technical review and evaluation of oil spill response plans (OSRPs), plan holder training and exercises, unannounced exercises, oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and ensures all activities are in accordance with national policy. 2. Conducts technical review and evaluation of OSRPs, conducts and evaluates unannounced exercises; inspects and evaluates oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and engages in other oil spill program activities. Administers enforcement processes or refers cases for civil penalty review as appropriate. 3. Leads, assists, or instructs others in the development and execution of government initiated unannounced oil spill exercises; may conduct exercises and/or serve as an evaluator. 4. Prepares and reviews a broad range of complex correspondence to answer or solicit information from lessees, operators, oil spill removal organizations, Federal and state agencies, and the general public. 5. Serves as the lead BSEE representative on Regional Response Teams (RRT), Area Committees, and incident specific RRT calls, providing support, advice and expertise to the National Response System on matters pertinent to oil spill planning, preparedness, and response. 6. Attends meetings and conferences with BSEE personnel; Federal, state, and industry representatives; and the general public concerning the implementation of relevant regulations, policies, and requirements of the OSRP review and approval process. 7. During actual spills the incumbent deploys to incident command posts and serves in designated positions within the Incident Command Structure. Assesses engineering, technical and scientific needs during a spill response and helps coordinate agency support to the Incident Command. BSEE has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. Travel by auto, plane, helicopter, or boat is required for field work, site visits, meetings, training, and conferences. Field work involves equipment inspections, unannounced exercises, operator-led training audits and exercises, sometimes offshore on vessels. This requires regular/recurring physical exertion, related to frequent inspections/surveys, to include considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. All field activities require some form of agility and dexterity. Offshore deployments may involve extended travel on vessels over water, vessel-to-vessel transfers, and the infrequent need to climb into/out of emergency evacuation devices. Spill response equipment inspections may involve overhead operations, movement of heavy machinery, and other activities that require the incumbent to look in all directions and be continuously and clearly aware of surroundings. The incumbent may be required to deploy to command posts during oil spill incidents and to travel away from the duty station for long periods in excess of a week. Incident deployments are typically located in office settings and may require working more than 12 hours a day. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy. Work is primarily performed in an office setting with occasional trips to offshore locations, storage yards, and incident command posts. In-office work involves normal everyday risks or discomforts typical of an office setting. Field work exposes the incumbent to adverse conditions such as weather, temperature extremes, and higher accident potential when offshore or in outdoor equipment yards and warehouse environments. The incumbent will typically spend 30-40 days per year conducting field work. Some work conditions may expose the incumbent to high noise levels, marine and other wildlife. Hardhats, safety glasses, safety-toe shoes, hearing protection, selected uniforms for the environment, and other safety precautions are required. This position may be subject to medical evaluations and monitoring to ensure safety in the performance of duties. The agency is in the process of developing the applicable policies. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/. Qualifications Salary Information (per annum) GS-11: $72,553- $94,317 GS-12: $86,962- $113,047 GS-13: $103,409- $134,435 This vacancy is also announced as BSEE-EEGG-25-CM-026(DEU) and BSEE-EEGG-25-CM-027(MP) for those applicants who wish to apply for the GS-9 level. To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience Requirements for the series/grade to which you are applying. (1) Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below: A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. OR B. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/ or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. NOTE: Transcripts are required to verify Basic Educational Requirements. AND (2) Specialized Experience GS-11: To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1. Independently collecting, analyzing, and reporting on scientific or technical data; 2. Adhering to oil spill response (or other incident management) operations, policies, laws, regulations and statutes relative to contingency planning; AND 3. Participating in various National Preparedness System training or activities, such as organized exercises/drills, capabilities training, or response equipment inspections required by regulation, law, or policy. Must meet all. OR Education: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR Qualifying Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed graduate education (only successfully completed education beyond the second year (or 36 semester hours) is creditable towards meeting this requirement) and specialized experience equivalent to the GS- 9 level that is related to the position and total 100% of the requirement for this grade level. NOTE: Transcripts are required to verify Education. GS-12: To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1. Utilizing oil spill (or other incident management) planning, preparedness, response concepts and strategies, including assessment of the behavior and environmental effects of contaminants; 2. Drafting or conducting technical reviews and evaluations of spill response (or other incident management) contingency plans for compliance with applicable Federal, state, and/or local laws, regulations, and policy requirements; 3. Conducting field inspections of oil-filled operational equipment or spill containment, control, and cleanup equipment; AND 4. Conducting or evaluating National Preparedness System exercises or training in alignment with applicable Federal, state, and/or local laws or regulations. Must meet all. GS-13: To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1. Managing regulatory oversight and compliance of spill response (or other incident management) requirements, including issuance of corrective action and improvement plans; 2. Designing, conducting, and evaluating National Preparedness System exercises in alignment with the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), National Preparedness for Response and Exercise Preparedness (PREP) Guidelines, or similar program; 3. Operating within an Incident Command Structure during incident responses or response exercises; 4. Engaging with regulated community, industry representatives, general public and Federal, state, and local partners during conferences and meetings; AND 5. Providing technical advisement on the development and revision of spill response (or other incident management) regulations, policy, or strategies, including considerations for unique regional scenarios. Must meet all. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Education Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements. Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 Additional Information Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361. Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment. Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process. NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.