Senior Policy Advisor for Deepwater Horizon

About the role

This Senior-Level (SL) position is in the Office of Water, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds. About the Office of Water. This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.

What you will do

• The Senior Policy Advisor for the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) is responsible for ensuring implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) DWH Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) trustee responsibilities and coordinating, as needed, with the Gulf of America Division, Region 4, in coordinating activities for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and Region 6.
• This position is in the Office of Wetlands Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW) and reports to the Office Director of OWOW.
• The Office is responsible for developing policies, strategies, regulations, guidance, and sound, scientifically-defensible criteria, advisories, guidelines, and implementation of complex financial management policies and budgetary frameworks to protect human health and the environment in accordance with federal authorities and statutes.
• Specific duties of this position may include, but are not limited to: - Advising and coordinating with the Office of Water, Office of General Counsel, Office of Finance and Administration and Regions 4 and 6 on the planning, formulation, and direction of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment programs and activities that are related to ecosystem restoration. - Providing financial, technical, and management oversight on the development and implementation of complex and interdisciplinary restoration plans designed to restore the Gulf Coast ecosystem injured by the DWH oil spill that involves multiple federal, state, and private organizations. - Reviewing, approving, and signing resolutions that release draft and final restoration plans, supplemental restoration plans, and approving and/or reconciling funding transactions. - Serving as a technical expert for the implementation of EPA Trustee responsibilities as well as partnering with States and other Federal agencies to identify, select, manage restoration projects, and communicate the results of those projects and activities in order to restore Gulf resources injured by the oil spill. - Evaluating NRDA programmatic changes related to water quality, aquatic environments, and ecosystem-oriented planning activities, as well as supporting the development of technical guides, handbooks, and instructions in order to provide technical assistance to external parties. - Overseeing adherence to quality control procedures and requirements relating to technical guidance.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• If you are selected, you must complete a one-year probationary period.
• 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 SL 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. #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 further evaluated based on the experience described in your resume with the required Technical Qualifications (TQs).

You are being evaluated under the category rating method which means, if you are determined to be qualified, you will be placed into the 'Best Qualified', 'Well Qualified', or 'Qualified' category.

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. -- 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. -- Veterans' Preference Documents - if claiming: Separated veterans claiming 5-point preference: DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service) or other official document/statement from the Armed Forces showing separation, discharge, or release from active duty; document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge) Separated veterans claiming 10-point preference based on compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more: DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service); document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge); and VA letter stating overall/combined disability rating (percentage); and SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form)--see page 2 for documents that can be submitted in lieu of the DD-214 and VA letter Other separated veterans claiming 10-point preference OR spouses, widows/widowers, or mothers claiming 10-point derived preference: SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form); and Other required documentation indicated on the SF-15 Active duty service members: Certification from the Armed Forces documenting active duty dates, expected discharge/release date, campaign medals/badges, and character of service (a certification is any written document from the Armed Forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged/released from active duty service in the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge) within 120 days after you submit the certification) 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 Subject Matter Expert (SME) for further review of your 2-page resume, including your demonstrated experience with the required TQs. Applicants rated Best Qualified under the category rating method will be referred to the Selecting Official by the Human Resources Office.

Interviews are arranged through the Selecting Official. 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

Time in grade requirements do not apply to SL/ST positions. 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.