The incumbent serves as an Environmental Protection Specialist in the Environmental Policy Division (AEE-400) of the Office of Environment and Energy (AEE). Responsible for supporting agency-wide compliance with environmental statues, regulations, executive orders, and requirements or goals set by the Department of Transportation (DOTI or the FAA, particularly in matters involving the application of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Duties
Performs multiple, varying, and complex assignments under the limited direction of a manager, project/ program manager, team leader, or more experienced technical specialist. May act as a contributing specialist on large work activities or as a team leader for single or small work activities. Provides support on the development of agency wide policy, procedures and guidance regarding the interpretation of NEPA and related environmental statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders.
Applies experience and advanced technical knowledge of environmental protection to AEE on complex environmental review issues before the agency and to FAA operational offices on the applicability of environmental review requirements to their programs and decisions, as well as an understanding of new technologies and methodologies, to solve complex problems and develop improved technical processes or systems.
Contacts are internal and external. May act as a key technical point of contact for assigned activities. Contributes to the preparation of management/technical reports or contractual documents, and may communicate the overall results of a project or work activity to FAA management, the aviation and aerospace industries, and other external parties.
Established policies/procedures provide guidance for most assignments, but allow considerable discretion to select the most appropriate approach or to recommend new approaches. Assignments typically require solutions that are to be derived by interpreting and extrapolating from situations that were faced in the past. Provides recommendations to improve work processes.
Typical assignments may include: advising environmental protection specialists in FAA program offices to resolve environmental review issues associated with specific projects; coordinating with the Office of Chief Counsel and other FAA organizations to develop recommendations for more effective approaches to recurring environmental review delays and litigation; supporting development of new environmental guidance in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality and DOT/FAA offices; drafting and soliciting input on environmental policy documents; and special assignments on emerging issues.
Work is reviewed periodically, typically at major milestones and at completion, for technical compliance and alignment with the requirements of the project or other work activity.