Federal Position Descriptions
Print

Administrator

Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Responsibility
Management Scope

In fiscal 2015, the EPA had $7,007 million in outlays, 14,161 total employment and about 4,000 to 5,000 contract employees.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manages the agency’s budget and employees
• Works with staff to develop regulations and policies relating to the areas of human health and the environment
• Communicates and coordinates with internal and external stakeholders, including the White House, Congress, regional administrators, state agencies, outside advocacy groups, and state and local stakeholders, on the agency’s business
• Engages with state agencies and governors’ offices to ensure that regulations are being implemented properly
• Serves as the public face and chief communicator of the agency
• Manages ad hoc and ongoing environmental issues as they arise

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Understanding of environmental science and EPA structure and processes
• Understanding of congressional oversight process
• Understanding of the interactions between environmental policy, impact to industry, and industry and media responses

Competencies

• Ability to lead and manage a large bureaucracy, including oversight of that bureaucracy
• Ability to communicate effectively, internally and externally
• Ability to assess risk (scientific, environmental, and organizational) and impact of proposed regulations
• Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations and to balance a variety of interests and competing priorities
• Good political judgment

Past Appointments
  • Gina McCarthy (July 2013 – 2017): Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation; Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
  • Robert Perciasepe (Acting, February 2013 – July 2013): Assistant Administrator, EPA’s water and clean air programs; Senior Vice President of Public Policy, National Audubon Society; Secretary of the Environment, State of Maryland
  • Lisa Jackson (January 2009 – February 2013): Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Staff Scientist, EPA
  • Mike Shapiro (January 2009): Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; Director, Office of Solid Waste
AGENCY

Environmental Protection Agency

Mission: To protect human health and the environment.

COMPENSATION

Level II $179,700 (5 U.S.C. § 5313)1

REPORTS TO

The President of the United States

SENATE COMMITTEE

Environment and Public Works

Appointee Tracker

Check out our Political Appointee Tracker

Go to the tracker
Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
This position description was created with the help of Heidrick & Struggles, a global executive search firm.
More federal position descriptions