Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Social Scientist

Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located within the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Resource Evaluation and Assessment Division with one vacancy to be filled in Woods Hole, MA or Narragansett, RI.

This position is also announced under vacancy NEFSC READ-23-11810750-DE which is open to the Public. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Salary for both locations: $77,738-$121,128

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/02/2023 to 06/12/2023
Salary
$77,738 to - $121,128 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZP 3
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Woods Hole, MA
Narragansett, RI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
3
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NEFSC READ-23-11810750-ST
Control number
729396800

Videos

Duties

Help

As a Social Scientist you will perform the following duties:

  • Develop and conduct analysis that supports ecosystem-based fishery management of Northeast region fisheries and potential impacts on social networks and coastal communities.
  • Assess accuracy and reliability of results and documenting assignments according to accepted principles and methods.
  • Perform social science and statistical, services.
  • Advise officials regarding adequacy of the social, cultural, and political aspects of marine fisheries management.
  • Serve on a multidisciplinary team of social scientists who develop social, economic, and cultural analyses applicable to ecosystem-based management including commercial and recreational fishery management regulations and their impacts on social networks and coastal communities.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel Systems (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band.

The ZP-0101-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12.

NOTE:
* This position is not in the bargaining unit.
* Payment of relocation/recruitment incentives may be authorized.
* One year probationary period may be required.


College Transcript: Submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of transcripts at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

Key Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  3. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  4. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  5. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
  • If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements 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 Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:

Degree: Behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with the knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

OR

Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must posses one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the ZP-2 or GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Developing social, economic, and cultural analyses applicable to ecosystem-based management including commercial and recreational fishery management regulations and their impacts on social networks.
  • Contributing to the development of models and methods to evaluate changes in social dynamics and adaptation to fishery management changes.
  • Working knowledge and experience with marine fishery and/or individual fisheries.


OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Combination of education and experience to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Education

Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

Additional information

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

  1. A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
  2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
  3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
  1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
  2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
  3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents:
1. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action: you must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position. (do not submit an Award SF-50) AND, the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND.
2. Performance Appraisal - most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan that does not include this information.
NOAA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

The Department of the Commerce (DOC) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

How you will be evaluated

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

Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:

  • Data Collection
  • Oral Communication
  • Research
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Written Communication


We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11993548

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.