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

• Coordinate organizational and scientific capabilities with scientific and administrative staff in Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Program Offices, Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes, other Federal Agencies, universities and other research organizations. Represent Weather Program Office (WPO) with internal and external stakeholders, including academia and the private sector, focusing on communicating highly technical information to diverse lay audiences that may include individuals not as well versed in the various technical aspects of the science.
• Utilize current theoretical and applied social science models and methods to evaluate changes in social dynamics, cultural, and behavioral responses, as a result of extreme weather events and impacts of climate change.
• Create position papers and identify research strategies for addressing gaps in the understanding of behavioral and decision sciences, with regard to extreme weather events and impacts of climate change. Develop briefings, reports, and recommendations to define short and long-term goals, and lead high-level communication of these to senior leadership, research administration, external scientific communities, and university scientists.
• Lead competitive grant competitions, manage competitive reviews, select funded grants (primarily in the area of risk communication to support weather prediction products tools and services), and monitor the research projects that were selected.

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

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.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

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 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.

This position requires a Low Risk Security Clearance.  

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

The ZP-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14.

* A three year probationary period may be required.

* Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.

* This position is not in the bargaining unit

NOTES:

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Social Scientist, ZP-0101-3/4 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 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:

To qualify for the 0101 series:

EDUCATION:

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

OR

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

OR

C. 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.

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:

• Compile information and data from studies and/or social science models to be used when writing reports and papers;
• Participating in social science information exchanges between organizations.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and experience. NOTE: Only graduate education in excess of one year is qualifying for combination.

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:

• Participating in the development and implementation of stakeholder surveys, focus groups, and interviews;
• Applying social science methods to understand the information needs of stakeholders and/or connection between weather events, climate change and human welfare outcomes; and
• Participating in conducting presentations on climate and weather research, applications and societally beneficial outcomes.

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:

ALL GRADES:

• Ability to develop position papers, briefings and reports for the understanding of behavioral and decision sciences, with regard to extreme weather events and impacts of climate change.
• Knowledge in the administration of grants.

ZP-3 ONLY:

• Ability to communicate technical information in order to share information between organizations.
• Ability to compile data from social science studies for briefings, reports, and recommendations.

ZP-4 ONLY:

• Knowledge in social and behavioral science, in order to identify gaps to conduct social science research or provide funding support to others that will conduct such research.
• Ability to represent an organization to a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to apply current social science theoretical models and methods applicable to weather and climate based management.
• Knowledge of project planning for the development of long- and short-term goals.