Student Career Experience Program
Employment Opportunities
The Student Career Experience Program at EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) provides students with paid part-time, semester-length, seasonal, or summer trainee employment leading to non-competitive appointment to the target position upon successful completion of at least 640 hours of on-the-job training and receipt of their degree. Applications must be received by February 1, 2009 for consideration for the summer 2009 positions. Students may apply for positions in a variety of job series located as noted:
- General Qualifications and Benefits
- How to Apply for Student Career Experience Program Opportunities
- Criminal Investigator Trainee (Various locations in the US)
- Environmental Protection Specialist Trainee (Washington, DC)
- Program Analyst Trainee (Washington, DC)
- Information Technology Specialist Trainee (Washington, DC and Denver, CO)
- Environmental Scientist Trainee (Washington, DC and Denver, CO)
- Environmental Engineer Trainee (Washington, DC and Denver, CO)
- Chemist Trainee (Washington, DC and Denver, CO)
- Biologist Trainee (Washington, DC and Denver, CO)
- Toxicologist Trainee (Washington, DC and Denver, CO)
About the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance:
OECA enforces U.S. environmental laws while inspiring the regulated community to pursue pollution prevention. OECA program offices who participate in SCEP include the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training (OCEFT); the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ); the Office of Site Remediation Enforcement (OSRE); the Office of Compliance (OC); the Office of Civil Enforcement (OCE); the Office of Federal Activities (OFA); the Federal Facilities Enforcement Office (FFEO); the Office of Planning, Policy Analysis, and Communications (OPPAC); and the Administrative and Resource Management Staff (ARMSS).
Qualifications Required:
- U.S. Citizen
- Enrolled at least half-time in a degree-granting program at an accredited college or university
- At least a 2.95 GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Recommended by university faculty
- Basic background investigation
- Individual opportunities may have additional qualifications or require a specific major
Position Benefits:
- Salary levels are GS-4 (undergraduate students), GS-7 (master's candidates), or GS-9 (Ph.D. candidates).
- Benefits include annual and sick leave, health insurance, and retirement.
- Work schedules are flexible to accommodate academic needs
- Students gain on-the-job training and experience and preview a career choice
- Upon graduation and successful completion of the work requirement, students gain non-competitive eligibility for appointment to the Federal service in the target position.
How to Apply for the Student Career Experience Program:
After determining which position you wish to apply for; provide a resume, cover letter, current official transcript, recommendations, and writing samples, no later than February 1, 2009, to:
Roberta Miller, SCEP Coordinator
MC-7101M
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 564-4116
(202) 501-0550(fax)
miller.Roberta@epa.gov
Application packages must be received by February 1, 2009 for the summer 2009 positions.
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Opportunities Include:
Environmental Protection Specialist trainees (PDF) (1 pg, 35K) are located in several OECA offices, including OSRE, OC, OCE, OPPAC, and FFEO, in Washington, DC. Environmental Protection Specialists conduct outreach to the regulated community and develop and implement compliance monitoring programs that determine compliance with environmental laws and regulations. They investigate and bring civil enforcement cases against violators and analyze environmental policies and regulations. Strong writing and analytical skills are required. All majors are welcome to apply, but applicants should have some academic or experiential background in environmental issues, policy, or science.
Program Analyst trainees (PDF) (1 pg, 35K) are located in several OECA offices, including OCEFT, OSRE, OC, ARMSS, OCE, and FFEO. Program Analysts are professionals with strong writing and analytical skills whose widely varied work can include analysis of environmental enforcement programs and initiatives, enforcement targeting and data analysis, administrative and resource management, and designing and conducting enforcement training programs. Positions are located in Washington, DC. All majors are welcome to apply.
Information Technology Specialist trainees (PDF) (1 pg, 35K) are located in OC or ARMSS, in Washington, DC and at OCEFT's National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) in Denver, CO, performing operations, maintenance, and modernization of the large national environmental enforcement data systems, developing and maintaining enforcement targeting and analytical systems, and web design and customer support. Positions are located in Washington, DC and Denver, CO. Computer science, information technology, information management, or related majors only may apply. A strong mathematics background is preferred.
Environmental Science trainees (PDF) (1 pg, 35K) work for OCEFT's National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) in Denver, CO, EPA's environmental forensic enforcement laboratory, or in OC, OCE, OSRE, or OFA in Washington, DC. NEIC positions focus primarily on laboratory and field sampling work. Washington, DC positions in the other program offices provide scientific analysis to support implementing compliance monitoring and assistance programs, the investigation of civil enforcement programs, or preparation, review and analysis of Federal Agency environmental impact statements or environmental assessments. Physical science majors (e.g., biology, chemistry, geology, environmental science) only may apply.
Environmental Engineer trainees(PDF) (1 pg, 35K) work for OCE or OC in Washington, DC providing engineering knowledge to support compliance monitoring programs and assist with the investigation of civil enforcement programs. Engineer trainees assigned to NEIC in Denver, CO provide engineering analysis and support to the conduct of forensic environmental investigations. Engineering majors with an emphasis on the environment only may apply.
Chemist Trainees(PDF) (1 pg, 35K) work for NEIC in Denver, CO or for OECA program offices in Washington, DC. NEIC Chemist positions focus on laboratory analysis of water and soil samples obtained in environmental enforcement investigations. A strong background in instrumentation is preferred. Washington, DC positions in the other program offices provide chemical analysis to support implementing compliance monitoring and assistance programs, the investigation of civil enforcement programs, or preparation, review and analysis of Federal Agency environmental impact statements or environmental assessments. Chemistry majors only may apply.
Biologist Trainees (PDF) (1 pg, 35K) work for NEIC in Denver, CO or for OECA program offices in Washington, DC. NEIC Biologist positions focus on laboratory analysis of water and soil samples obtained in environmental enforcement investigations. A strong background in instrumentation is preferred. Washington, DC positions in the other program offices provide biological analysis to support implementing compliance monitoring and assistance programs, the investigation of civil enforcement programs, or preparation, review and analysis of Federal Agency environmental impact statements or environmental assessments. Biology majors only may apply.
Toxicologist Trainee (PDF) (1 p, 35K) work for NEIC in Denver, CO, or Headquarter in Washington, DC. NEIC Toxicologist positions provide laboratory biochemical/biophysical analysis of samples taken to support emergin forensic methodolgies for EPA and state environmental enforcement cases. Washington, DC positions provide scientific analysis to support pesticide registration and evaluating toxic chemical risks, including reviewing data, testing protocols and related information submitted by registrants. Only majors related to toxicology, biochemistry, biophysics, physiology and pharmacology may apply.
Positions not being hired for in Fiscal Year 2009
Criminal Investigation
trainees: will be assigned to the Criminal Investigation
Division of the Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics,
and Training (OCEFT), which investigates egregious and
intentional violations of environmental crimes. EPA Special
Agents are Federal law enforcement agents with full arrest
powers for Federal crimes. Positions are available in
various locations, as listed below. Strong writing skills
are required. All majors are welcome to
apply.
Locations for Special Agent positions
include: Phoenix , AZ; Los Angeles, CA;
Sacramento, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Denver,
CO; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, KS; Cleveland,
OH; Philadelphia, PA; Seattle, WA