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Physical Scientist, ZP-1301-III (GS-11/12 equivalent)

Department of Commerce
National Institute of Standards and Technology
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Are you ready to explore your future with NIST?

Your application package may be shared with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like the one you are applying to. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. 

This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/09/2021 to 03/08/2021
Salary
$72,750 to - $113,362 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZP 03
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Gaithersburg, MD
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Attend 5 Regional Metrology meetings per year; visit 4 state metrology laboratories per year
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation may be authorized
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
03 - No known promotion potential
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NISTPML-2021-0019
Control number
591567700

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Duties

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The mission of the NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) is to improve the accuracy of legal measurements, enhance consumer protection, foster fair competition, and facilitate economic growth and trade through technical activities that promote uniformity in national and international legal metrology laws, regulations, standards, test procedures, and enforcement.  As part of that mission, the OWM Laboratory Metrology Program provides the basis for ensuring the traceability of state weights and measures standards to the international system of units (SI).  We are recruiting a team member for the OWM Laboratory Metrology Program who will continue the program's excellence into the future, work collaboratively with other programs in the OWM, and contribute to the mission of NIST.

State legal metrology laboratories are custodians at the State level of measurement standards that serve as the basis for ensuring equity in the marketplace and as reference standards for calibration services for indigenous industry.  The OWM Laboratory Metrology Program has developed performance standards and formalized procedures for Recognition of State legal metrology laboratories on a voluntary basis. Technical and administrative guidance and training, proficiency testing, and assistance to State legal metrology laboratories are key aspects of the program to assure accurate and traceable measurements at the state level.  Certificates of Metrological Traceability are issued upon evaluation of the laboratory's ability to make reliable metrological measurements (principally mass, volume, length, and temperature).

As a team member of the OWM Laboratory Metrology Program, you will plan, design, implement, and improve metrology training, proficiency testing, lab assessment, traceability, uncertainty analysis, and quality systems for the State legal metrology laboratories.  You will conduct training and mentor instructors and teaching assistants to deliver exceptional training using adult learning methods.  You will train and evaluate State metrology laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards to prepare them for lab accreditation audits.  You will provide expert technical and management guidance to metrologists and lab administrators on calibrations, lab design, operations, and problem-solving.  You will support the development of documentary standards for laboratory metrologists and weights and measures officials.  You will publish papers, analyses, reports, and procedures in support of state weights and measures programs and laboratories. 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen
  • You must be registered for Selective Service if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  • You must be suitable for Federal Employment

Applicants must meet requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: 

A. Degree: 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

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

In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must also have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 (ZP-II at NIST) level. Specialized Experience is defined as experience in: 1) performing measurements and using instruments in a laboratory environment; 2) writing, reviewing, and publishing technical documents; 3) designing courses and teaching adults in physical sciences, engineering, or technology; 4) experience with MS Word and MS Excel (Excel experience to include knowledge and use of formulas and function library); 5) experience in using statistical tools for data analysis.

OR

3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree as defined in the basic requirements 

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree as defined in the basic requirements 

OR

A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as defined in the additional requirements

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (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. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains Federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the OPM website located at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

Applicants may request reconsideration of their qualifications determination within three business days from the date their applicant status was changed. Applicants should email the Agency Contact listed in this vacancy announcement with their written request listing the announcement number; explaining why the original determination was improper; what factors were not considered; and, should provide any other pertinent information that would enable reevaluation. 

Education

This position has an education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcripts to document that you have met the education requirement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required prior to the final offer of employment.

Foreign education: Individuals educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for a U.S. equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. View a listing of these accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. Provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing.

Additional information

A one to three year probationary period may be required.

This position is covered by an Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS). This system replaces the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and grade with career paths and pay bands. For information regarding how the pay bands correspond to the General Schedule, click here.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications. Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, salary, duties performed for each position, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level/pay band. Please also include in your resume a list of all publications and patents/patent applications on which you are a named inventor and provide the title and patent/patent application number for each. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures. Selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. You may not be considered for the position if any part of the application is incomplete. Your application may not receive appropriate consideration without the required supporting documentation. 


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