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Summary This position is in Region 10, Superfund and Emergency Management Division. About Region 10: Region 10 This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. *EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section. Responsibilities At the entry level of this position, you will: - Plan and conduct investigations of high value and often complex sites designed to identify parties (individuals, companies, and other entities) who have potential liability for the cleanup of sites where there is or has been a release or threatened release of hazardous substances. Investigations may include multi-regional where Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) chemicals are involved. - Provide verbal and written briefings to appropriate Regional staff and management on the status of ongoing or planned investigations and actions; make recommendations related to Potentially Responsible Parties (PRP) liability and financial viability; and assists in settlement negotiations with Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) or litigation efforts, as needed. - Identify situations and provides information to the Office of Criminal Investigations where civil investigations have uncovered information warranting consideration of criminal investigation. Coordinate with criminal investigations to ensure that parallel civil investigations do not jeopardize the potential for a successful criminal investigation. You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements. When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level. Requirements Conditions of Employment You will be required to lift items weighing up to 70 pounds. You may have limited exposure to hazardous materials. You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section. You must be a U.S. citizen. #LI-Onsite If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter. If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period if appointed as Competitive Service or a two-year trial period if appointed as Excepted Service. 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. You must meet time in grade requirements no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement. You will be required to meet ongoing specialized safety training requirements in order to meet field safety standards. This position requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Qualifications NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have 1 year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level defined as preparing for investigations by applying civil and criminal provisions of environmental protection statutes, including the provisions of statutes and regulations governing the illegal generation, disposal and transportation of pollutants, toxic substances and hazardous materials. To qualify for the GS-13 level, you must have 1 year of full-time* specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level defined as conducting investigations involving disposal and/or handling of hazardous waste at Superfund sites to aid in determining who the responsible parties are. Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Knowledge laws and regulations to inspection, investigation, enforcement, and/or compliance work sufficient to plan and conduct complex investigations to identify potentially responsible parties (PRPs) at Superfund sites. Skill in conducting interviews and interrogations. Skill in planning, organizing and overseeing investigations; testify in legal, quasi-legal or administrative proceedings. Skill in written communication. Skill in oral communication. Ability to apply them in analyzing voluminous, complex and often incomplete books and records to find evidence. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. *If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Education Additional Information This position is in the bargaining unit. Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must have a score of 87 or higher--see the How You Will Be Evaluated section). Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA. 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: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Although the Service type indicated in the Overview section is Competitive, you may be appointed as Excepted Service based on your eligibility to be hired under certain appointing authorities. 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. Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.