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Physical Scientist, ZP-1301-4 (Direct Hire)

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

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), National Centers for Environmental information (NCEI), with 3 vacancies in Asheville, NC and 1 vacancy in Boulder, CO. 

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/26/2021 to 02/16/2021
Salary
$92,143 to - $155,196 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZP 4
Locations
Boulder, CO
1 vacancy
Asheville, NC
3 vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Up to 15% of domestic travel may be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
NSDIS-NCEI-2021-0011
Control number
590272300

Duties

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As a Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Plan, coordinate, manage and conduct assigned projects based on overall objectives, milestones, and constraints in support of program functions.
  • Engage with internal and external stakeholders to provide technical guidance to functional specialists. Provide recommendations on advanced methods or procedures for solving problems.
  • Coordinate and develop new guidelines requiring the use of advanced scientific techniques and the modification and extension of theories, precedents, and practices of the sciences and related disciplines. Integrate emerging technologies into program systems and concepts and determines impact on tactics, techniques, and procedures.
  • Serve as the senior expert and technical advisor, for the principles of an assigned or professional area, to the management of data integration, processing, submission, and analysis efforts. Provide expertise/advice on data analysis methods and practices to lower-level professional or scientific staff.
  • Serve as a technical representative on panels, committees, and conferences to communicate to scientific community via conferences, publications, and committee participation.

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 Low Risk Security Clearance.

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (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-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14.

The full performance level of the position is ZP-4 or GS-14.

Category Rating, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to this Public Notice.

* A one year probationary period may be required.

* Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.

* The Asheville, NC positions are in the bargaining unit. The Boulder, CO position is not in the bargaining unit.

NOTE:

*This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Physical Scientist, 1301-4 positions throughout NOAA. The position must be alike (e.g. within the same geographic locations, same grade/band and requires the same qualifications and specialized experience as indicated in this vacancy announcement).

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: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements

To qualify for the 1301 series:

EDUCATION:

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 above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

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.

To qualify at the ZP-4 or GS-13:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Serving as a contributing scientist in one or more of the following areas: paleoclimatology, artificial intelligence, analysis of reanalysis or climate model output, climate extremes, or socioeconomic analyses with climate information;
  • Serving as a professional scientific staff member responsible for planning, organizing and participating in scientific programs related to climatology, including assessing, disseminating, and publishing scientific data; and
  • Analyzing, developing, and executing resolutions to scientific issues while advising top management officials.

Education

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.

Additional information

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have met the minimum qualifications for the position. 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.

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.

Office information for position.

  • (Paleoclimate). This position will serve as the Director of the World Data Service for Paleoclimatology and as the lead of the Paleoclimatology team. (This position will be in Boulder because all NCEI federal Paleoclimatology staff are currently located in Boulder)

  • (Reanalysis). This position will address interoperable, analysis-ready data in the cloud, with an emphasis on spatially complete products derived from statistical and physical climate and reanalysis models.

  • (Extremes). This position will address high impact and societally relevant events such as heat waves, wildfires, and heavy precipitation, including support of NOAA attribution initiatives.

  • (Socioeconomic). This position will focus on the development of products and services that merge environmental and social science data from across NOAA, the federal government, and private sector.

How you will be evaluated

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.

Veteran’s Preference does not apply to direct hire recruitment procedures.

Any selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Therefore, Current Federal employees would be given new appointments to the civil service and may have to serve a new probationary period under CFR 315.802 (b).

NOTE: A one year probationary period will be required under the Direct Hire Authority unless you are a current Department of Commerce employee and are in the same line of work and with no more than a 30 day break in service. 


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