Regulatory Specialist

This position is located with Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances.

MSHA works to prevent death, illness and injury from mining; promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

This is a career ladder progression position; the incumbent will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.

For the GS-09 level:

• Drafts regulations or assists senior regulatory specialists in drafting regulations pertaining to MSHA programs. Responsible for ensuring promulgated regulations reflect MSHA policies and are consistent with Federal law, executive orders, and guidance, including the Mine Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, EO 12866, and the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook.
• Responsible for reviewing and analyzing comments received on proposed occupational health and safety regulations and determining significant issues raised in written comments. Support senior regulatory specialists in drafting responses to received comments.
• Responsible for determining if proposed regulations or standards require regulatory impact and regulatory flexibility analyses. Where required, supports economists in the preparation of such analyses. Assists technical specialists in using the results of these analyses to modify draft standards, where warranted.
• Participates in reviews and analyses of existing Agency regulations to identify those which may need revision in view of changing Agency requirements or policies or actions taken by other regulatory agencies and provides this information to the Chief of the Regulatory Development Division.
• Manages and drafts correspondences to the Office of the Solicitor, other MSHA program areas, and members of the regulated community.

For the GS-11 level:

• Drafts the complex or sensitive regulations pertaining to MSHA programs. Responsible for ensuring promulgated regulations reflect MSHA policies and are consistent with Federal law, EOs, and guidance, including the Mine Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook.
• Responsible for reviewing and analyzing comments received on proposed occupational health and safety regulations and determining, in conjunction with technical program personnel, management, and the Office of the Solicitor, whether the issues raised in written comments have sufficient merit to warrant changes in the proposed regulation. Drafts responses to substantial comments and explains MSHA position on those topics.
• Responsible for determining if proposed regulations or standards require regulatory impact and regulatory flexibility analyses. Where required, supports economists in the preparation of such analyses. Assists technical specialists in using the results of these analyses to modify draft standards, where warranted.
• Conducts continuing reviews and analyses of existing Agency regulations to identify those which may need revision in view of changing Agency requirements or policies or actions taken by other regulatory agencies and provides this information to the Chief of the Regulatory Development Division and other MSHA officials.
• Manages and drafts correspondences to the Office of the Solicitor, Office of Mine Safety and Health Enforcement, other agencies, and members of the regulated community. Exercises a leadership role to resolve any differences within MSHA.

For the GS-12 level:

• Drafts the most complex, controversial, or sensitive regulations pertaining to MSHA programs. Coordinates with the Office of the Solicitor as needed.
• Ensures that promulgated regulations reflect DOL policies and are consistent with Federal law, executive orders, and official guidance, and the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook. Collaborates with MSHA program offices, the Office of the Solicitor, and Departmental personnel to build consensus on regulatory strategy and rule text.
• Responsible for reviewing and analyzing comments received on proposed regulations and determining, in conjunction with technical program personnel, management, and the Office of the Solicitor, whether the issues raised by the comments have sufficient merit to warrant changes in the proposed regulation. Drafts updates to regulation and clearly explains MSHA positions on complex topics.
• Conducts continuing reviews and analyses of existing Agency occupational health and safety regulations to identify those which may need revision in view of changing Agency requirements or policies or actions taken by other regulatory agencies and provides this information to the Assistant Secretary and top MSHA officials.
• Manages and drafts correspondences to the Office of the Solicitor, Office of Mine Safety and Health Enforcement, other agencies, members of the regulated community, and Congress. Exercises a leadership role to resolve any differences within MSHA or between MSHA and external stakeholders.
• Prepares documents for the Semi-annual Regulatory Agenda and Regulatory Plan. Responsible for ensuring assigned rulemakings are delivered within time frames defined in the Semi-annual Regulatory Agenda.

To qualify for the Regulatory Specialist, you must meet one of the options as described by grade level below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For the GS-09 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-09 level is defined as 3 of the following:

• Supporting the formulation and writing of rulemaking documents.
• Reviewing and interpreting regulations, executive orders, or legislation.
• Analyzing the impacts of regulations on industry or stakeholder groups.
• Interpreting and applying industry consensus standards.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with representatives of trade associations, worker unions, industry groups, and/or regulatory bodies.

OR
Education: Possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B or J.D, if related, that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-11 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-11 level is defined as 4 of the following:

• Interpreting new regulations, executive orders, or legislation and delivering conclusions/recommendations.
• Preparing reports and analyses required by law, executive order, or regulation.
• Developing rulemaking content and performing complex regulatory analysis that require input from subject matter experts, including solicitors, economists, technology experts, and/or field staff.
• Analyzing and modeling the impacts of regulations on industry or stakeholder groups.
• Drafting external communications that accurately reflect government agency policies, regulations, and positions.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with high-level officials at trade associations, unions, industry groups, and/or regulatory bodies.

OR
Education: Possess a Ph.D or equivalent graduate degree, or three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M, if related, that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-12 level: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service.

Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-12 level is defined as the following:

• Interpreting new regulations, executive orders, or legislation and delivering conclusions/recommendations.
• Preparing reports and analysis required by law, executive order, or regulation.
• Formulating regulatory narrative that incorporates nuanced legal rationale, technical grounding, and economic details.
• Leading working groups that include solicitors, economists, technology experts, and enforcement personnel.
• Analyzing and modeling the impacts of regulations on industry or stakeholder groups.
• Draft external communications that accurately reflect government agency policies, regulations, and positions. Preparing responses to complex questions and/or other correspondence received as a result of rulemaking.
• Interpreting and applying industry consensus standards.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with high-level officials both within and outside the Agency.