United States Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Research and Development

National Center for Environmental Assessment

Global Change Research Program

The Global Change Research Program (GCRP) of the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) in the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) seeks immediate applications for a recent Master’s graduate, to be hired under the Student Services Authority contract, to participate in a project associated with a recently initiated, multi-year effort to assess the potential impacts of global change on U.S. water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

The recent Master’s graduate will work on two major projects involving (1) analyses of land use change projections for the conterminous U.S. to 2100 and (2) vulnerability analyses of regions and watersheds. First, the successful candidate will use recently developed land use projections to examine the effects of land use change interacting with climate change on water quality, aquatic ecosystem, air quality, and human health endpoints. Methods developed for these analyses may be incorporated into geoprocessing tools. Other tasks related to this project include incorporating data updates into the modeling system, validating data outputs using remote sensing methods, and preparing metadata. Second, the successful candidate will assist with and develop analyses at national and watershed scales to assess current and future vulnerabilities of water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Inputs into these assessments will come from a variety of datasets, including the land use projections described above and regional climate modeling. These data will also feed into hydrologic modeling for various watersheds. The successful candidate will integrate a variety of data outputs from the modeling to create map products to support GCRP staff with the vulnerability assessments. Both projects require exceptional analytic, geoprocessing, data management, cartographic, communication, and collaboration skills. The successful candidate will be working with very large spatial datasets and should already be familiar with the challenges this poses. A familiarity with climate change assessments is encouraged.

Applicants with Master’s degree in geography, environmental science, ecology, hydrology, or natural resources are encouraged to apply. Expertise and research interests include the following:

o       High degree of proficiency in ESRI suite of ArcGIS software and geoprocessing tools, including spatial modeling and visualizations

o       Land use change modeling and analysis skills

o       Expertise in working with very large spatial databases, including national and regional scale data, meta-data, and data management

o       Expertise in spatial statistics (e.g., SAS, SPlus) and spatial analysis (e.g., Fragstats, Attila)

o       Knowledge of remote sensing methods, including aerial photography interpretation

o       Proficiency in Python, AML, Perl, other scripting or computer languages

o       Familiarity with other modeling systems, e.g., ecological or hydrological

This position is a one-year, federal government appointment with the possibility to extend for an additional one year, beginning approximately June 2008. The work site is located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (Crystal City, VA). The rate of compensation for this contract is $24.79 per hour for a person who received their Master’s within the past two years. The contract is for up to 40 hours per week, not to exceed 1928 hours in the base period (first year) or 1928 hours in the optional period (second year), for a gross annual salary of $47,795.12. The successful candidate will be responsible for paying all Federal, State, or local income taxes required as a result of income received under this order; please note that the hourly rate of compensation for this position is designed to include the cost of self-employment taxes for social security and Medicare. Selected candidates do not receive a benefits package, such as health insurance, life insurance, retirement, or vacation or sick leave (though the cap of 1928 hours per year in effect builds in ample vacation time). Relocation expenses may be paid at the discretion of the program.

Once a contract has been awarded, the successful candidate will have to undergo a background investigation, a check of FBI fingerprint files, and a suitability determination by the EPA. If a background check reveals information to indicate the contractor represents a risk to the interests of EPA and the national security, the contract will be terminated.

Typically, this position will be awarded to those who have held their Master’s less than two years at the time of application. Employment opportunities are open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Only in the absence of qualified U.S. citizens will permanent residents who are citizens of countries specified as exceptions to the appropriations act ban on paying non-U.S. citizens be considered. For more information on Federal employment of non-citizens, see http://www.opm.gov/employ/html/citizen.htm.

To apply for this position, please send the following to Anne Grambsch, Acting Staff Director, EPA/ORD/NCEA Global Change Research Program, Two Potomac Yard, 2733 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202:

o       A curriculum vitae;

o       Three letters of recommendation;

o       A cover letter indicating your research interests, country of citizenship, U.S. citizenship status (citizen or permanent resident) and contact information including email address;

o       If you are claiming veterans’ preference, please include your DD-214 with your application package.

For questions, please contact Dr. Christopher P. Weaver, weaver.chris@epa.gov, 703-347-8621.

The U.S. EPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer