Summary The position serves as the Lead Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Program Manager for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Healthcare System (RHJVAHCS) and is responsible for the overall GEMS Program, which includes 12 community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in South Carolina and Georgia. Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include: Analyzes GEMS-related issues and problems, resulting in continual improvement of environmental programs at the RHJVAHCS, and communicates/reports findings to medical center leadership. Applies environmental science and technology to demonstrate relationships between the operation of the RHJVAHCS with human health, ecosystems, environmental media, and natural resources. Provides leadership and direction to management, professional, and technical personnel regarding the development and implementation of facility GEMS. Plans, organizes, implements, oversees, and provides technical assistance for projects aimed at resolving environmental issues. Assignments include but are not limited to: wastewater treatment and disposal; safe drinking water; treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste; release of hazardous material/spill response; air pollution control; environmental media permitting; toxic substances; tank management systems; pollution prevention and waste minimization; mercury reduction; sustainability; and regulatory oversight. Serves as a subject matter expert responsible for the knowledge and understanding of federal, state (South Carolina and Georgia), and local environmental regulations, Joint Commission standards, and Office of Inspector General requirements for all facilities within the RHJVAHCS in order to maintain environmental compliance. Leads other GEMS staff, including Environmental Protection Specialists, industrial hygienists, and other positions, identifying, distributing, and balancing workloads and tasks among employees. Develops new or revised technical or management guidance material for RHJVAHCS use. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm. Work schedule is subject to change based on agency need. Position Description/PD#: Lead Environmental Protection Specialist/PD114600 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Physical Requirements: The work requires the employee to carry equipment and routinely involves walking, standing, bending, climbing or crawling during inspections or surveys. This work requires physical movement of equipment, hazardous and nonhazardous materials and waste, and performs duties in various areas such as mechanical rooms, rooftops, construction sites, and facility grounds. Duties may need to be performed in various outdoor environments including adverse weather and uneven or slippery surfaces. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/30/2026. 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-12 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: applying practices, methods, and techniques to control pollution and protect the environment during the construction, operation, and maintenance of health care facilities and systems. Modifying standard practices and adapting various equipment and technical processes to solve environmental problems and abatement conditions. Developing, guiding, and inspecting Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) programs. Integrating chemical, remediation, and regulatory compliance into design and construction projects. Ensuring safe construction standards and operating conditions. 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/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
