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Interdisciplinary Physical Scientist/Geophysicist/Oceanographer, GS-1301/1313/1360-14 (DE/CR)

Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the National Weather Service (NWS) with one vacancy in Palmer, AK.

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for Alaska (including Palmer) is 3.27% and is not federally taxed. The COLA is not reflected in the locality salary shown in this vacancy announcement. COLAs are exempt from Federal income taxes; post differentials are not.

* Rotating shift work is required as the TWC operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/14/2019 to 06/28/2019
Salary
$116,801 to - $151,845 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Palmer, AK
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Up to 10% of domestic and foreign travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time - Career Conditional/Career
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
NWS-AR-2019-0039
Control number
536725800

Duties

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As a Tsunami Science Officer, you will perform the following duties:

  • Coordinate and consult with scientists in the NWS, NOAA, other agencies, academia and the private sector worldwide to identify and/or development opportunities for enhanced warning procedures and techniques to be used at the TWC. Integrates new scientific/technological advances and techniques into TWC operational procedures and operations.
  • Provide technical and scientific leadership and training to the staff in such areas as analyzing seismic and tide data, earthquakes, tsunamis, computer programming, techniques development, and operational development. Assess continuing and future training needs required to successfully incorporate new technology and science into the TWC operations.
  • Direct and participate in research and special studies concerned with the operation of the TWC including development of new techniques in seismic and tide data retrieval and processing, earthquake source studies, tsunami genesis, tsunami forecasting and defining tsunami terminal effects.
  • Evaluate the technical and scientific adequacy of all TWC products and services by conducting a product verification effort targeted to improving the scientific basis of products produced.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply.
  • Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
  • Must be suitable for Federal employment.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  • Qualifications requirements must be met by closing date of announcement.

This position requires a Public Trust Security Clearance.

* A one year probationary period may be required.

* This position is not in the bargaining unit.

College Transcript:  If you are qualifying based on education, 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 that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume.   You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the 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 the 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.


Applicants must meet ALL application requirements, to include a complete online resume, by 11:59 p.m. EASTERN TIME (ET) on the closing date of this 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: http://www.opm.gov.

This position may be filled in any one of the three series below (1313 or 1360 or 1301). Each series requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of specialized experience or a substitution of education for experience in order to be found minimally qualified. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements:

To qualify for the 1313 series:

A. Degree: that included at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.).

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

- OR -

To qualify for the 1360 series:

A. Degree: major study of at least 24 semester hours in oceanography or a related discipline such as physics, meteorology, geophysics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, geology, or biology, plus 20 additional semester hours in any combination of oceanography, physics, geophysics, chemistry, mathematics, meteorology, computer science, and engineering sciences.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Note: Applicants who qualify on the basis of major study in biology or geology must have had at least 6 semester hours in the major directly concerned with marine science or 6 semester hours in oceanography; applicants who qualify on the basis of other physical sciences or engineering must have had differential and integral calculus and at least 6 semester hours in physics.

- OR -

To qualify for the 1301 series:

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.

- AND -

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.

To qualify at the GS-14 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements above, applicant must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Developing and coordinating the transfer of new and emerging scientific technologies and products into a service program; and
  • Developing or assisting in developing training plans or strategies to meet staff needs.

Education

Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy.

Additional information

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 Silver (Well Qualified). Information about 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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

We will review your resume, optional cover letter 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, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of the three pre-defined categories.  The categories are “gold”, “silver” and “bronze”.  However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered.  Candidates placed in the “gold” category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility:  Within each category, those entitled to veterans’ preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.  Preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. For more information on Category Rating, please go to Category Rating.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

  • Ability to effectively work with a wide variety of individuals representing the government, the private sector, the military, international partners, and special interests.
  • Knowledge of warning operational systems.
  • Ability to conduct earthquake and tsunami research and integrate new techniques and process into the operational systems.
  • Knowledge of the principles, practices and theories of physical oceanography and seismology as they relate to the tsunami phenomena.
  • Ability to coordinate the verification and evaluation of products and services.

To preview questions please click here.

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