What are the responsibilities and job description for the Environmental Protection Specialist position at Robley Rex VA Medical Center?
Incumbent serves as the Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Program Manager for Robley Rex VA Medical Center (RRVAMC) Louisville, KY. This role is responsible for the overall GEMS Program at the which includes the one warehouse, one administrative building, and eight Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) located at Carrollton, Stonybrook, Fort Knox, Grayson County, New Albany IN, Scottsburg IN, Newburg, Greenwood, Mellwood warehouse, and Linn Station administrative building.
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.
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:
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; religions; 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: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The work includes frequent audits of waste storage areas and many other areas of the health care system, collection and 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 all the hazards and discomforts to which workers in the areas are subjected This may include toxic chemicals, biohazards, physical stressors, and safety hazards.
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/.
Major duties include, but not limited to the following:
Telework: Ad-hoc only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Environmental Protection Specialist/PD404030
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
NOTE: Must possess a valid, state-issued driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that you are medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Please do not upload a copy of driver's license.
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/29/2026.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.
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:
- 1. Knowledge of the principles, practices, and methods of program or administrative work relating to environmental protection program.
- 2. Knowledge of one or more environmental sciences or related fields (e.g. biology, ecology, chemistry, hydrology, radiation physics, environmental law, real property functions, or statistics) sufficient to assess and correlate environmental data, verify results, and discuss technical aspects of work with scientists, engineers, and other environmental experts.
- 3. Knowledge of environmental laws and regulations.
- 4. Ability to plan, organize, implement, and evaluate environmental programs.
- 5. Knowledge of the policies, organization, operations, work practices, and environmental parameters of regulated industries.
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must meet one of the following education requirements:
- Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree
- 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate work leading to such a degree
- LL.M. (if related to Environmental Protection). OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a masters degree.
- Administration and Management
- Communications
- Computer Skills
- Project Management
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; religions; 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: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The work includes frequent audits of waste storage areas and many other areas of the health care system, collection and 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 all the hazards and discomforts to which workers in the areas are subjected This may include toxic chemicals, biohazards, physical stressors, and safety hazards.
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/.
Responsibilities:
This position will require travel between Zorn campus and CBOC's on a routine basis. The position functions as the technical environmental authority as the Environmental Protection Specialist, with the responsibility for assuring full compliance for interpretation and implementation of GEMS policies and programs in accordance with Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) and RRVAMC policies and guidance.Major duties include, but not limited to the following:
- Participates in the preparation of written Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and standards.
- Analyzes GEMS related issues and problems, resulting in findings and conclusions that lead to continual improvement of environmental programs at RRVAMC.
- Provides guidance and direction to leadership, management, and professional and technical personnel regarding the development and implementation of facility GEMS
- Plans, organizes, implements, oversees and provides technical assistance for projects to resolve environmental problems.
- Develops and implements environmental policies, procedures, and systems.
- Advises management on how environmental policies, procedures, and systems will affect the operation of the RRVAMC.
- Evaluates, modifies, and implements pollution prevention alternatives at the RRVAMC to reduce the generation of waste.
- Measures the effectiveness of existing environmental programs and recommend additions to environmental program as needed to meet changing environmental requirements.
- Develops promotional and educational activities to promote stakeholder awareness of RRVAMC environmental issues.
- Serves as expert on issues related to environmental statutes including the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC), Underground and Aboveground Storage Tanks, Superfund Statutes, Toxic Substances Control Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act.
- Provides support to the industrial hygiene program for RRVAMC on matters such as toxic and hazardous substances, control measures for reducing exposure to hazardous agents and disposal of hazardous chemical agents.
- Investigates accidents, which may include those involving fatalities and serious injury, and complaints of employees concerning unhealthful work condition and determines corrective measures, prepares necessary reports and records.
- Develops, maintains, and sustains a comprehensive Hearing Conservation Program for Louisville VAMC to include policy development and training.
Telework: Ad-hoc only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Environmental Protection Specialist/PD404030
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
NOTE: Must possess a valid, state-issued driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that you are medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Please do not upload a copy of driver's license.
Salary : $74,678