Planning and Compliance Branch Chief

Full Job Description

This position is located in Mount Rainier National Park, in the Division of Natural and Cultural Resources. Government housing may be available.

More information about the position and the park may be obtained by contacting Sallie Beavers, Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources, Mount Rainier National Park at sallie_beavers@nps.gov Requirements Continued...

You will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 on an annual basis.

Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments.

Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties.

Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle.

You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists.

Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.

Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/01/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted.

An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience.

For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

This experience MUST include the following: (1) developing or implementing management documents to ensure compliance with federal, state, tribal, and county orders, ordinances, statutes, laws and regulations, directives and policies involving National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and underlying laws including Endangered Species Act (ESA) 7, National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) 106 and 110, Wilderness Act, Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA); (2) applying and managing a variety of Federal regulations, policies, guidelines, and procedures related to environmental compliance; (3) establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with project managers and interdisciplinary team members in minimizing environmental impacts; and (4) consulting with various Federal resource and regulatory agencies, and coordinating with various agencies and non-government entities regarding environmental issues.

You must include hours per week worked.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

CTAP/ICTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection.

Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.

Federal employees seeking I/CTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) - CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 - ICTAP.

This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level & duty location. Major Duties:

Major Duties: The Planning and Compliance Branch Chief (Environmental Protection Specialist) leads and coordinates park planning efforts and environmental compliance actions to facilitate projects and help ensure the protection of park resources.

This position will serve a critical role in leading the Planning and Compliance program and working collaboratively with the park's project management program.

The Planning and Compliance Branch Chief is responsible for park planning and the preparation of compliance documents, either directly or through contractors, related to operations, infrastructure maintenance and development, and rights of way - specifically those requiring analyses or permitting under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Wilderness Act, the Clean Water Act the Endangered Species Act and other local, state and federal laws and regulations.

The position serves as an important liaison to federal, state and local agencies, tribes, partners and the public.

This position reports to the Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources and while not a supervisory position, the incumbent will supervise one Natural Resources Specialist, a Resource Advisor, and temporary seasonal staff.

The incumbent also works with project-specific contractors.