Environmental Protection Specialist
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85718
Summary
This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – Veterans Health Administration (VHA) – at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) in the Engineering Service – Environmental – Health and Safety section. Environmental Protection specialists – also known as GEMS (Green Environmental Management System) Program Managers – play an essential role in the GEMS Program and apply specialized knowledge of planning and administering environmental compliance and sustainability.
Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 02/18/2026. Time‑In‑Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS‑11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑9. The grade may have been in any occupation – but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF‑50 that shows your time‑in‑grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year – it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one‑year time‑in‑grade – as required by the announcement. In this instance – you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. Note: Time‑In‑Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience:
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS‑9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include – but are not limited to – planning and/or implementing program policy or procedures that ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and advising organizations on procedural methods and process improvements that cover a variety of environmental aspects and impacts.
Education:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree which demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position – or related LL.M. (Transcript Required). Or a combination of education and experience to qualify at this level. This requires a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education – or beyond LL.B or J.D. – if related (Transcript Required).
Your assessment will be based on the following Competencies for this position: Environmental Engineering Program Management Technical Competence. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience – including volunteer work done through National Service programs such as Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can be credited for paid employment.
Physical Requirements: The work includes frequent audits of waste storage areas, consolidation of wastes across the health care system, and clean‑up of hazardous materials and wastes. The work involves walking, standing, bending, hand dexterity, climbing, carrying of items and driving of government motor vehicles. During audits and inspections – there is regular exposure to toxic chemicals, bio‑hazards, physical stressors and safety hazards.
Working Conditions: Much of the work is performed in an office setting. The work does include frequent audits of waste storage areas, storm water drains and outfalls, environmental audits and inspections within and outside the health care system facilities and involves a good deal of walking, standing, bending, lifting, and climbing. During audits and inspections – there is regular exposure to all hazards and discomforts to which the workers are subjected. The employee must use a variety of protective equipment and clothing or gear.
For more information on these qualification standards – please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Duties
Plan and implement program policy and procedures ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations – as well as timely tracking of regulatory deadlines, shipping schedules, and hazardous waste locations and volumes.
Manage environmental permits – ensuring that permits are written, followed, and modified as needed and finishes all required actions to avoid violating permit requirements.
Lead facility self-assessments – conduct significant surveys and inspections to determine compliance with applicable state, local, and federal environmental regulations and evaluate program implementation.
Advise organizations and services on procedural methods and process improvements – lead sustainability evaluations that cover a wide variety of environmental aspects and impacts.
Negotiate agreements on corrective action plans, potential monetary fees, and non‑compliance orders with federal, state, and local environmental agencies.
Review how expansion, modification, closures of existing facilities and infrastructure and new construction of structures and infrastructure will impact the environmental footprint of the health care system.
Serve as an expert on the interpretation of environmental regulations and technical issues.
Lead and be a subject‑matter expert on any new and emerging contaminant and pollution issues and coordinate all associated activities with reducing, removing, and preventing pollution.
Advise senior level management officials within the health care system on the status of environmental programs and recommend changes in the process to meet new environmental requirements and/or reduce environmental impact.
Advise other scientists—clinicians—and engineers from other services and organizations regarding environmental compliance and protection programs.
Manage compliance and pollution prevention activities for both internal and external reporting requirements.
Identify process improvement projects to reduce environmental impacts and take remedial actions to address any non‑compliance issues or findings.
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00am–4:30pm. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Environmental Protection Specialist/PD14724O. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
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Qualifications To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 02/18/2026. Time‑In‑Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS‑11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑9. The grade may have been in any occupation – but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF‑50 that shows your time‑in‑grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF‑50 has an effective date within the past year – it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one‑year time‑in‑grade – as required by the announcement. In this instance – you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. Note: Time‑In‑Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience:
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS‑9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include – but are not limited to – planning and/or implementing program policy or procedures that ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and advising organizations on procedural methods and process improvements that cover a variety of environmental aspects and impacts.
Education:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree which demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position – or related LL.M. (Transcript Required). Or a combination of education and experience to qualify at this level. This requires a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education – or beyond LL.B or J.D. – if related (Transcript Required).
Your assessment will be based on the following Competencies for this position: Environmental Engineering Program Management Technical Competence. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience – including volunteer work done through National Service programs such as Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can be credited for paid employment.
Physical Requirements: The work includes frequent audits of waste storage areas, consolidation of wastes across the health care system, and clean‑up of hazardous materials and wastes. The work involves walking, standing, bending, hand dexterity, climbing, carrying of items and driving of government motor vehicles. During audits and inspections – there is regular exposure to toxic chemicals, bio‑hazards, physical stressors and safety hazards.
Working Conditions: Much of the work is performed in an office setting. The work does include frequent audits of waste storage areas, storm water drains and outfalls, environmental audits and inspections within and outside the health care system facilities and involves a good deal of walking, standing, bending, lifting, and climbing. During audits and inspections – there is regular exposure to all hazards and discomforts to which the workers are subjected. The employee must use a variety of protective equipment and clothing or gear.
For more information on these qualification standards – please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Duties
Plan and implement program policy and procedures ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations – as well as timely tracking of regulatory deadlines, shipping schedules, and hazardous waste locations and volumes.
Manage environmental permits – ensuring that permits are written, followed, and modified as needed and finishes all required actions to avoid violating permit requirements.
Lead facility self-assessments – conduct significant surveys and inspections to determine compliance with applicable state, local, and federal environmental regulations and evaluate program implementation.
Advise organizations and services on procedural methods and process improvements – lead sustainability evaluations that cover a wide variety of environmental aspects and impacts.
Negotiate agreements on corrective action plans, potential monetary fees, and non‑compliance orders with federal, state, and local environmental agencies.
Review how expansion, modification, closures of existing facilities and infrastructure and new construction of structures and infrastructure will impact the environmental footprint of the health care system.
Serve as an expert on the interpretation of environmental regulations and technical issues.
Lead and be a subject‑matter expert on any new and emerging contaminant and pollution issues and coordinate all associated activities with reducing, removing, and preventing pollution.
Advise senior level management officials within the health care system on the status of environmental programs and recommend changes in the process to meet new environmental requirements and/or reduce environmental impact.
Advise other scientists—clinicians—and engineers from other services and organizations regarding environmental compliance and protection programs.
Manage compliance and pollution prevention activities for both internal and external reporting requirements.
Identify process improvement projects to reduce environmental impacts and take remedial actions to address any non‑compliance issues or findings.
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00am–4:30pm. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Environmental Protection Specialist/PD14724O. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
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