EPA Green Infrastructure Community Decisions Support

Organization
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Reference Code
EPA-SSP-0015-5
Description

The EPA Environmental Research and Business Support Program has an immediate opening for an EPA Green Infrastructure Community Decisions Support position at the EPA’s research facility in Narragansett, RI.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

The Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory conducts research to enhance the understanding of the effects of human activity on land and waters of the Atlantic seaboard. The team works to support sustainable solutions to environmental problems, working within (1) ORD’s  Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research, which is focused on developing comprehensive approaches to help communities be more sustainable and to develop decision support tools, models and metrics that can be used to improve sustainable community practices in the face of changing water, land use, and climate challenges, and (2)  ORD’s Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research, which is seeking sustainable solutions to the complex problems facing our nation’s drinking water and the water resources that are vital to supporting healthy humans, ecosystems, and economies.

The selected candidate shall assist with the analytical duties required to support research in Decision Analysis for Community Sustainability and Community Green Infrastructure Implementation. He/she shall bring an interdisciplinary perspective in assisting with data collection, analysis, and translation to support development and implementation of Decision Support models and tools for communities seeking to protect ecosystem services and increase sustainable outcomes in both human and environmental dimensions. Specific tasks will focus on literature review, data collection, manipulation and analysis for community needs and approaches to Green Infrastructure, Decision Tool uses, Systems framing, Community case studies, indicators, tool documentation/instruction, or a combination of these.

Research and Analysis Responsibilities shall include assisting with:

  • Compiling documents and content that characterize issues, goals, decisions, and management plans and outcomes pertaining to land and resource use, water protection, ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and integrated sustainability for municipalities,
  • Analyzing metadata of regional and local planning documents and of associated best management practices,
  • Using an assortment of software packages for data analysis and display,
  • Preparing data for inclusion as content in decision support tools and graphics,
  • Researching information relating to Use Cases and Decision Cases specific to community sustainability goals and environmental science and policy,
  • Participating with team-members in evaluating and documenting actions and outcomes of community decision-making on maintenance of ecosystem services, and
  • Performing other tasks required for accomplishing project objectives.

Documentation and Communication Responsibilities shall include:

  • Assisting with development of user guidance and training from decision support tools,
  • Assisting with preparation of data reports, publications, and other products,
  • Participating as a member of an interdisciplinary team in assigned activities, and
  • Maintaining records of meetings, correspondence, and action documents, and maintain a system to track projects in progress.

Location: This job will be located at EPA’s research facility in Narragansett, RI.

Salary: The selected applicant will become a full time temporary employee of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $21.90 for hours worked.

Hours: Full time

Travel: Occasional day trips will be required. Overnight travel may be required infrequently.

Working Conditions:  The selected candidate shall be supervised by a mentor who will provide day-to-day direction, as well as coach, advise and counsel the candidate, and review the candidate’s work. 

Expected Start Date: The position start date is December 2016. The selected applicant will be temporary employees of ORAU working as contractors to EPA. The initial contract period is through May 14, 2017. EPA may elect to renew the contract for an additional three 12-month optional periods

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

Qualifications

Eligible applicants must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age and
  • Have earned at least a Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following: public policy, decision sciences, environmental sciences, urban planning, hydrology, sociology, aquatic sciences, geography, geology, chemistry, ecology, geographic information systems, biology, oceanography, economics, sustainability systems, resource management, or related of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months, and
  • Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

The applicant shall have:

  • Academic training or experience comprised of a mix of both natural and social sciences,
  • Technical analysis, communication and writing ability,
  • Experience with research, including demonstrated analytical and organizational skills,
  • Experience using applications for data manipulation, including spreadsheets, relational databases, or visualization tools,
  • Experience working on a team, documenting work, meeting goals, and communicating results, and
  • Knowledge of resource management policy, systems science, community engagement methods, and decision sciences.

How to apply:

  • Submit application and supporting documents by clicking on Apply Now button.
  • Do not contact EPA directly.

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

Eligibility Requirements
  • Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree received within the last 24 month(s).
  • Discipline(s):
    • Communications and Graphics Design (1 )
    • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
    • Engineering (2 )
    • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
    • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )
    • Other Non-Science & Engineering (5 )
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences (28 )
Affirmation

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age; a recent graduate with at least a Bachelor’s  Degree in one of the following: public policy, decision sciences, environmental sciences, urban planning, hydrology, sociology, aquatic sciences, geography, geology, chemistry, ecology, geographic information systems, biology, oceanography, economics, sustainability systems, resource management, or related field of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months; a citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America; and not a current employee of EPA ORD or the spouse or child of an EPA ORD employee.

ORAU is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability); visit the ORAU website for required employment notices.


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