Program Assistant at EPA - ORAU

The EPA National Student Services Contract has an immediate opening for a full time Program Assistant position with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA facility in Cincinnati, OH.

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.

What the EPA project is about

The Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER) plans, coordinates and conducts an applied, customer-driven, national research and development program to improve decision making by EPA, federal, state, tribal and local agencies, when faced with challenging environmental problems in the built environment. The CESER Immediate Office (IO) is led by the Director, Deputy Director for Management, and Chief of Staff.

As a team member, you will support the CESER Director, Deputy Director for Management, Chief of Staff, Associate Chief of Staff, Associate Directors for Research/Science, and Senior Advisors in the IO (referred to hereafter as senior management) as a Program Assistant. The team member may also be asked to provide support as outlined below for the operational staffs within the CESER IO (Program Operations Staff, Research Planning and Implementation Staff, and Communications and Outreach Staff). In this capacity, the team member will perform a wide variety of analytical, communication, and administrative duties as described below:

• Manage incoming telephone calls to the CESER IO;
• Manage senior management’s calendars and schedule meetings for and with senior management when requested by CESER staff;
• Maintain a central calendar of CESER’s significant research activities and events/meetings;
• Develop and maintain electronic coordination platforms for CESER IO (e.g., SharePoint, Doodle Polls);
• Review incoming and outgoing correspondence as requested by senior management;
• Organize and support scientific workshops, conferences, briefings, facility tours, and on-site meetings, including assisting with logistics and other coordination activities;
• Develop written products such as tip sheets, contact lists, standard operating procedures, reports, synthesis documents, and other job aids;
• Research and summarize information relating to environmental science and policy, in communities, government, and other organizations;
• Assist in facilitating appropriate communication and outreach related to research activities, including creating summaries of EPA research, developing communication plans for technical field projects, documentation of yearly impacts from complex projects, and developing communication materials for wider audiences;
• Conduct project management tasks, such as attending planning meetings, maintaining records of meetings and correspondence (including those that are technical in nature), managing deadlines, updating systems and databases, and maintaining a system to track projects in process and outputs/deliverables;
• Assist with record keeping activities in various electronic systems, databases, and paper records;
• Assist senior management in the development of oral presentations on topics, results and impacts using graphics, data visualization techniques, and other interactive formats;
• Perform market research and other tasks in support of purchasing per EPA policies/guidelines;
• Maintain system to track CESER IO action items and monitor with Chief of Staff on a routine basis to ensure follow up and completion of tasks;
• Develop analysis of results from various queries, surveys, or reports and provide summaries for senior management as needed; and
• Provide general assistance to all members of the CESER/IO, as applicable, to assist in priorities (e.g., copying, deliveries, mail-outs, etc.).

The team member will perform duties, as requested, according to specifications and instructions provided by the mentor. All necessary instructions and training will be provided by the EPA mentor.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

• Education and/or experience in both environmental science and policy;
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience working in teams;
• Strong communication skills (i.e., written, oral, telephone etiquette, presentation abilities), including effective multi-media technical communications;
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Access);
• Spreadsheet design, implementation, administration, maintenance, and analysis;
• Excellent notetaking, proof reading, and editing skills;
• High level of attention to detail; and
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including demonstrated ability to handle multiple assignments with competing deadlines.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

• Proficiency with Access, database applications, Adobe applications, SharePoint, and Teams.

Location:  This job will be located EPA’s facility in Cincinnati, OH.

Salary: Selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $24.01 for hours worked.

Hours: Full-time.

Travel: Occasional overnight travel may be required.

Expected start date: The position is full time and expected to begin December 2024. The selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU working as a contractor to EPA. 

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

• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy, environmental science, information technology, business administration or a closely related field 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.