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As a Lead Naval Architect, you will perform the following duties:

• Participate in formulating, applying, and implementing ship design policy; study technical ship design issues; evaluate hull form performance; recommend design criteria; and ensure new additions and modifications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) fleet conform to design and safety standards as well as meet regulatory requirements. Review ship’s structural drawings, hull lines, arrangements, stability calculations (intact and damage), and other design documentation. Support provisions for trial and acceptance procedures to test ships performance.
• Execute a wide range of technical analyses, engineering and arrangement studies, economic analyses, and detailed design work for NOAA ships; and provide technical advice to managers regarding: suitability, feasibility, and reasonableness of modifications to extend a ship's life, or design of proposed new ships; and the urgency, advisability or necessity of changes.
• Evaluate and communicate with vendors concerning contract performance and timeliness; prepare and evaluate contract plans and specifications.
• Collaborate with program managers, NOAA Line Office representatives, ship sponsors, design agents, shipyards, contractors, regulatory bodies, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other stakeholders in the design process; and offer recommendations on major design changes in vessel conversion, alteration, repair, or modernization.
• Communicate the division’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values to a team of naval architects; advise on work methods, techniques, practices, and procedures; monitor and report on work status and progress; and ensure priorities, methods, deadlines, and overall quality standards have been met.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• Qualifications requirements must be met by closing date of announcement.
• Must be suitable for Federal employment.
• If selected, required to complete OGE Form 450 financial disclosure.

·         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 before appointment or onboarding with the agency. 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 Moderate 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.  

*A one year probationary period may be required.

*Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.

*This position is not in the bargaining unit.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYEMENT: The incumbent is expected to obtain and maintain current Contractor Officer Representative (COR) certification.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This position requires extended periods of standing, walking, climbing ladders, crawling, and ability to climb from smaller boats to larger ships in order to perform ship checks for familiarization, design, inspection, and verification.

NOTES:

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Lead Naval Architect, ZP-0871-4 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 0871 series:

EDUCATION:   

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
2. Written Test -- Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

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 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: 

• Supporting the formulation of ship construction, alteration/modification, or repair specifications which includes recommending design criteria and ensuring additions and modifications to ships conform to design and safety standards;
• Participating in implementing ship design policy and conducting studies related to technical ship design issues; and
• Providing technical advice or guidance on ship design changes, alteration, and repair.

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.  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.  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:

• Knowledge of a broad range of interdisciplinary marine engineering concepts in areas that include ship arrangements, stability, and structure.
• Ability to test and evaluate ship structures and support the design process.
• Ability to provide advice on the suitability, feasibility, and reasonableness of modifications in order to extend a ship's life or the design of proposed new ships.
• Ability to manage budgets, schedules, and project scopes and requirements.
• Ability to conduct and direct an advanced program, exercise professional leadership, and provide consultation in the design process of ships.
• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory functions for a team of naval architects.