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ENGINEER/SCIENTIST

Department of the Navy
Naval Sea Systems Command
Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will not be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants must follow the directions in the "How to Apply" section of this flyer to be considered. There may or may not be actual vacancies filled from this flyer. Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.

Overview

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Job closed
Open & closing dates
04/15/2024 to 04/26/2024
Salary
$82,764 to - $153,354 per year
Pay scale & grade
ND 4
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Indian Head, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for part time, substantial or ad-hoc telework at the discretion of management.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation incentives as described in 5 USC 5753 may be authorized in accordance with applicable regulations. PCS is not authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
DE-12381421-24-ELL
Control number
786720100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S Citizens

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Duties

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Assignee may be placed in one of the below technology focus areas/branches:

  • Chemistry - Assignee will be responsible for the development of new energetic molecules and explosive formulations. Chemical synthesis of novel high-energy compounds, small molecule organic synthesis, purification, and characterization techniques will be used to advance the state-of-the-art in energetic materials. Assignee may engineer advanced syntheses or production methods for energetic materials or intermediates. Assignee may engineer advanced material compositions using energetic materials, binder systems, and polymers.
  • Explosives Formulations - Assignee will conceptualize and develop novel explosive and propellant formulations to enhance weapon lethality and requirements. Assignee will utilize and implement advanced manufacturing techniques to improve state-of-the-art energetic formulations. Assignee will work to scale up explosives and propellants from laboratory through pilot plant to manufacturing scales and lead qualification efforts to transition new energetic formulations for fleet use. Assignee may participate in national and international collaborative efforts to progress the state-of-the-art in explosives and propellant formulations science and manufacturing.
  • Physics and Engineering - Assignee will help develop technologies in areas including novel explosives, advanced energetic materials, propulsion, and high-speed diagnostics. Assignee may participate in small scale (laboratory) as well as field-scale (outdoor) detonation experiments using state-of-the-art techniques in diagnostics. Assignee may develop novel diagnostics to support the needs for understanding complex inert and energetic systems in laboratory and field settings or develop test plans to properly analyze the effects of varying inert and energetic materials in prototypical geometries.
  • Materials Science - Assignee will apply and develop techniques for the derivation of energetic materials responses such as explosive performance, pressure/impulse effects, detonation, combustion and chemical kinetics. This may involve devising new characterization parameters, experimental setups, diagnostics and research methodologies. The focus area also includes development of novel energetic material concepts like energetic composites, use of novel organic/inorganic materials as energetics, weapon design and effects optimization, and material properties tailoring. Assignee will conceptualize novel materials or materials with alternative mechanical properties to tailor for particular applications and utilize analytical tools and techniques to understand the behavior of inert and energetic materials as a function of material properties. Assignee will develop novel experimental setups in order to assess material performance and may utilize techniques such as AM, ball-milling, isostatic pressing for tailorable material formulations and properties
  • Modeling and Simulation - Assignee will develop existing and/or novel computational codes for simulating physical processes that may include: combustion, detonation, high strain rate material response, damage and fragmentation, penetration, ignition, chemical kinetics, energetic material aging response and large scale plumes. This research area also focuses on application of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and advanced data analytics techniques for complex problem solving and optimization.
  • Analysis and Characterization - Assignee will operate and maintain analytical instrumentation focused on chemical analyses. Assignee will analyze and interpret data using different software formats and compile reports with the results. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of materials will be used in conjunction with physical properties testing to develop material specifications, identify requirements, and establish energetic material standards.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
  • New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.
  • You will be required to successfully complete a pre-appointment physical examination.
  • Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana) is required. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if you fail to report to the drug test appointment or fail the test. You will be subject to random testing.

Qualifications

Your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the ND-3 (GS9/11 equivalent) pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: as a professional Engineer or Scientist advising on the advancement of engineering and scientific techniques, requirements, methods, sources, and procedures to improve the research and development of energetic materials.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf OR https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/ OR https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/physics-series-1310/ OR https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/chemistry-series-1320/

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

Education

Applicants must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:

FOR 08XX:

Successful completion of a professional engineering degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration For more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org

OR

Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html.

OR

Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A (above). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A (above)

OR

Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily, there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.

FOR 1301:

Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

A combination of education and experience with education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR 1310:

Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher in physics, or a related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics. Courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, course in any of two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound.

OR

A combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, course in any of two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound.

FOR 1320:

Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics.

OR

Have a combination of education and experience with course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Additional information

You will serve as an Engineer or Scientist in the Research & Development Division (R1) of Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head.

This position is part of the Warfare Centers Personnel Demonstration Project. The ND-4 pay band encompasses positions equivalent to GS-12 and GS-13.

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Several vacancies may be filled.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf.

Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this specific hiring authority. However, if you claim veteran's preference, you will be required to submit supporting documentation with your application as described in the Required Documents section below.

This announcement uses the STRL Direct/Mission Support direct hire authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to certain positions in the competitive service.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.

As vacancies occur, the Human Resources Office will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this flyer. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume, along with your supporting documentation.

If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All qualification requirements must be met before being considered for any vacancies.

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