Director, Environmental Response Team and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Division

About the role

This Senior Executive Service (SES) position is in the Office of Land and Emergency Management, Office of Superfund and Emergency Management, Environmental Response Team and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Division. About OLEM.

This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to one of the duty stations stated in this announcement on a regular basis (location TBD after candidate selected).

What you will do

• The Environmental Response Team and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (ERT-CBRN) Division provides expert scientific, engineering, and technical support for carrying out the Agency's Primary Mission Essential Function, supports emergency responses, and delivers timely and effective direct field support at contaminated sites.
• The ERT-CBRN Division supports the Agency's efforts to manage and remediate hazardous sites, leveraging its multidisciplinary technical expertise to support emergency response and contaminated site cleanup operations.
• They provide technical direction, guidance and support to the Regions to address risks posed by contaminated sites by leveraging the ERT-CBRN Special Team, formed through the integration of the Environmental Response Team, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear program, and the Consequence Management Advisory Team (CMAT).
• As such, the ERT-CBRN Division serves as the hub for coordinating and deploying Office of Superfund and Emergency Management Special Teams (ERT, CMAT) personnel during oil and hazardous substance spills and CBRN incidents, and providing specialized technical expertise within the Incident Command System during large-scale responses.
• The ERT-CBRN Division manages operation of deployable national assets and fixed and mobile laboratories by providing analytical support and developing new methods for environmental sampling and testing.
• Specific duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Planning, developing, organizing, directing, and implementing several major programs for which the incumben is assigned Agency-wide responsibility.
• Providing leadership, field support, preparation, and response for homeland security-related hazards, and maintains scientific expertise, including developing and managing the program that provides technical assistance in responding to environmental emergencies and in assessing and cleaning up hazardous waste sites.
• Assessing needs, defining goals, developing program plans, establishing the ERT-CBRN Division's organizational structure, delegating authority and responsibilitiy, and establishing overall division operating policies, priorities, and procedures.
• Coordinating division activities with internal and external stakeholders sharing a mutual interest or responsibility with the program area assigned to the ERT-CBRN Division.
• Supervising a large staff of employees organized into units headed by subordinate managers and supervisors.

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 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 will be required to obtain and maintain a top-secret/sensitive compartmented information security clearance.
• Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter. #LI-Onsite

How you will be evaluated

We will review your resume and required documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet basic qualification requirements, your application will be evaluated based on the experience described in your resume with the required Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs).

It will then be forwarded to a three-member Rating Panel consisting of SES members for further review. The Rating Panel will decide which Best Qualified applicants will be issued to the Selecting Official by the Human Resources Office.

Documents you must provide

• You should ensure your social security number, date of birth, and any other personal information are redacted. -- Resume - Required for all applicants - State your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section.
• In describing your experience, be clear and specific.
• We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.
• NOTE: Your resume may not exceed 2 pages.
• If your resume exceeds 2 pages, your application will be disqualified. --Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) - Required for competitive applicants Address your experience with the ECQS described in the Qualifications section within the limits of your 2-page resume.
• For more information on ECQs, see OPM's Guide to SES Qualifications. -- Technical Qualifications (TQs) - Required for all applicants Address your experience with the TQs described in the Qualifications section within the limits of your 2-page resume. -- Proof of SES noncompetitive eligibility - Required for noncompetitive applicants - If you are currently serving under a Career SES appointment, are eligible for reinstatement into the SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program approved by OPM, submit one of the following: Certification of completion from an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP).
• This applies only if your ECQs have been approved by an OPM Qualifications Review Board through the SES CDP.
• SF-50 showing your status as a: current Career SES appointee, former Career SES appointee with Career SES reinstatement eligibility, or current or reinstatement eligible Career SES-equivalent executive who is/was employed in a Federal government agency that has an interchange agreement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) allowing for movement between the agency's SES-equivalent personnel system and the SES.
• To learn more about submitting documentation, visit Uploading Documents to USAJOBS.

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.

What to expect next

It is your responsibility to check your USAJOBS account for application status information. You can track the progress of your application via your USAJOBS account by clicking the Track This Application link.

Your USAJOBS application status will appear in your profile if your application was received successfully; if your submission was not received, the application status will show as unavailable. After the announcement closes, the Human Resources Office will conduct a review of your application package.

If your application is complete and you meet basic qualification requirements, it will be forwarded to a three-member Rating Panel consisting of SES members for further review of your 2-page resume, particularly your described experience with the ECQs and TQs.

The Rating Panel will decide which Best Qualified applicants will be referred to the Selecting Official by the Human Resources Office. Competitive candidates referred for consideration will be contacted to schedule a structured interview. Additional interviews and/or assessments may follow.

If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement. Your application status will change in USAJOBS when updates are available for each step of the process.

NOTE: We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses through reference and/or background check, and/or verification of your education. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration.

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.