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Environmental Scientist, ZP-0401-3/4 (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 Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coastal Management (OCM) with one vacancy in Charleston, SC and one vacancy in Honolulu HI.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/10/2021 to 11/23/2021
Salary
$64,649 to - $145,955 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZP 3 - 4
Locations
Honolulu, HI
1 vacancy
Charleston, SC
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - Up to 30% of domestic or foreign travel may be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4 - If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you may be non-competitively promoted if you perform successfully and if recommended by management.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
NOS-OCM-2022-0001
Control number
620902700

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Duties

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As an Environmental Scientist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Lead the development and delivery of multiple learning products and services and/or provide technical assistance to partners across the United States and territories that translate and build knowledge and skills through the lens of equity and inclusion to enable the coastal management community to enhance resilience to climate change and coastal hazards. Evaluate learning products and services, identify and make enhancements to increase to enhance their effectiveness for local and regional audiences. Work with instructional designers to lead the development of new learning products and services that meet the culturally appropriate local, regional and national coastal management needs.
  • Lead collaborative and strategic partnerships around coastal community hazards and resilience with targeted agencies and organizations at the local, regional and national levels. Serve as a regional expert in process design and facilitation to support complex meetings and workshops and/or as a subject matter expertise for partners around coastal community hazards and resilience topics. Lead assessments and address identified needs through local and regional partner engagement, training and technical assistance. Lead the development and implementation of regional learning strategies and develop new or enhanced learning products and services. Support and advise regional leadership.
  • Develop, maintain, and share knowledge on relevant learning products and services available to the coastal management community with specific focus on local and regional needs. Encourage use of Digital Coast resources.  Represent the office by serving on local, regional and national teams. Provide timely response to taskers on program and office impacts in the region.  Serve as federal lead for regional or national projects including writing scopes of work, sole source justifications, and serve as reviewer and federal or technical program officer on grants, cooperative agreements and contracts.
  • Serve as Learning Services regional coordinator. Apply adult learning principles and learning science coupled with the environmental sciences to ensure products and services incorporate adult learning theory and interdisciplinary science-based engagement practices into practical, actionable information. Lead the analysis and assessment of the learning portfolio against regional and national audience needs, priorities and industry practices.

NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZP-4; the ZP-3 is developmental leading to such performance.

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.

·         As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee’s duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021 or before appointment or onboarding with the agency, if after November 22. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.

·         Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 45 days. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency’s telework policy. 

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-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12.

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.

* This position is not in the bargaining unit.

NOTE:

*This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Environmental Scientist, ZP-0401-3/4 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 requires applicants to meet a Basic 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. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements:

To qualify for the 0401 series:

EDUCATION:

A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, 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-3 or GS-11 level:

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-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Gathering and analyzing environmental science research findings on climate change or coastal hazards resilience that can be used when recommending or assisting in the development of learning products/services that support educational or outreach activities;
  • Networking with coastal stakeholders in order to build collaborative relationships; and
  • Providing facilitation services, developing learning products or delivering training for coastal partners.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 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: A combination of education and experience as described above. Note: Only graduate education in excess of two full years is qualifying for a combination of education and experience.

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

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:

  • Using environmental science research findings on climate adaptation and coastal resilience to lead teams to plan, develop and implement learning products/services to support diverse coastal audience needs.
  • Establishing and maintaining regional and national collaborative partnerships with stakeholders engaged in coastal hazards and resilience.
  • Leading facilitation, learning products and services development, or training delivery for coastal partners.

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.

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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