Summary
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Regional Environmental Protection Specialist. The incumbent is responsible for assuring the region's compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), FTA's environmental procedures (23 CFR part 771), and related Federal laws during its execution of the Federal transit program.
Duties
As an Environmental Protection Specialist, you will: Evaluate environmental documents—including Categorical Exclusions (CEs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs), and Records of Decision (RODs)—for legal sufficiency and compliance with 23 CFR 771. Serve as the primary FTA Region 1 representative in interagency consultations with federal, state, tribal, and local regulatory bodies (e.g., EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, State Historic Preservation Officers, and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers). Serve as a subject matter expert on Executive Orders and directives related to NEPA, National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the US DOT Act, FTA NEPA regulations and standard operating procedures, and the FTA project development process. Conduct pre-award environmental reviews and field assessments to identify potential environmental hazards, noise/vibration issues, air quality impacts, or cultural resource conflicts early in project design. Facilitate meetings with FTA recipients, manage a diverse workload with competing deadlines, identify and implement best management practices. Lead interdisciplinary teams, coordinate with resource agencies, and mediate competing stakeholder interests. Give presentations in professional settings, convey technical topics to non-technical audiences, and articulate complex policy positions to agency decision-makers. The Ideal Candidate for this position is a mid-career employee with experience implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and/or other environmental laws, regulations, or policy for transit projects.
Requirements
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A background security investigation is required for all selected individuals. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of the security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
How you will be evaluated
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination. For this announcement, applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the basic qualifications for this position. The applications of individuals who meet the basic qualifications will be assessed to validate that the applicant possesses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) at the level of proficiency needed to perform the job successfully. Applicants who are found to possess the necessary KSAs to perform the job may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. You may preview questions for this vacancy.