Air Quality Specialist/Physical Scientist (Fire Support)

Full Job Description

This position is assigned to Region 5, Fire and Aviation Management unit within the Pacific Southwest.

This position serves as the Regional Air Resource Management Program Leader and is the primary contact for air quality and forest health in relation to air pollution and smoke management.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Grabowski at brian.grabowski@usda.gov or Deirdre Cherry at deirdre.cherry@usda.gov.

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

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.

Note on Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed.

This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time.

Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series listed below. Basic Requirement for the Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series, 0401: A.

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR B.

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major. OR C.

Combination of education and experience: combination of education and experience that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, AND experience sufficient to demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field needed to perform the work of the occupation.

Basic Requirement for the Physical Science Series, 1301: A.

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in: 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 above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement: GS-12: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as three or more of the following: Advising and building relationships with air resource entities from federal, state, county, and city governments and outside air quality interest groups on air resource management, regulatory compliance, and resource protection from air pollution affecting forest ecosystems; and/or Assisting with prescribed fire projects to provide adequate analysis of emissions to meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Federal Conformity Regulations; and/or Analyzing and developing solutions to highly controversial and/or unique problems relating to flora, fauna, water, visibility, and other resources at risk from air pollution; and/or Assisting with incorporating air resource management in the revision of forest plans; and/or Assisting with smoke modeling runs and interpreting smoke dispersion and trajectory predictions.

GS-13: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as four or more of the following: Leading projects in air quality analysis, monitoring deployment, data analysis, and assessments; and/or Applying air quality monitoring methods for ozone, nitrogen, and visibility; and/or Engaging with Agency level fire personnel on smoke management issues related to prescribed fire or wildfire suppression operations; and/or Developing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and Environmental Assessments for individual resource management projects; and/or Developing smoke monitoring plans and protocols in cooperation with agency fire personnel; and/or Training fire management officers on appropriate use of smoke models and their outputs and limitations.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Major Duties:

• Duties listed are at the full performance GS-13 grade level.
• Provides leadership in air quality regulation and management, management of smoke, forest health related to air pollution effects, and global climate change effects to forests, including smoke monitoring.
• Serves as a Regional leader for implementation of Forest Service responsibilities under the Clean Air Act.
• Coordinates and recommends the Regional Forester’s response to States and the Environmental Protection Agency on air quality re-designation proposals, State Implementation Plans, and air pollution emission permit reviews.
• Coordinates with research scientists within the agency and other institutions for the purpose of promoting research needs in air resource management and smoke impacts, and to identify and achieve technology transfer objectives.
• Designs inventory and monitoring plans to identify and evaluate the changing condition of flora, fauna, water, and other resources at risk from air pollution, acid deposition, and global climate change.
• Plans and implements the Air Resources Management Program budget while coordinating with Fire and Aviation Management and Regional budget staff to ensure programmatic objectives are met.
• Develops National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and Environmental Assessments for individual resource management projects.