Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

ENGINEER/SCIENTIST

Department of the Navy
Naval Sea Systems Command
NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER INDIAN HEAD DIVISION
This job announcement has closed

Summary

You will serve as an ENGINEER/SCIENTIST in the RDT&E DEPARTMENT (Code R), CBR DEFENSE DIVISION (Code R2), within the CBRD LABORATORY SCIENCES BRANCH (Code R21) of NAVSURFWARCEN IH DIV.

These positions are equivalent to the GS-09/11 and GS-12/13 levels. The full performance level is equivalent to the GS-12/13 level.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/28/2022 to 07/12/2022
Salary
$56,086 to - $138,868 per year
Pay scale & grade
ND 3 - 4
Location
Indian Head, MD
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses (i.e. PCS) or relocation incentives as described in 5 USC 5753 may be authorized in accordance with applicable travel regulations.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ST-11544303-22-LJD
Control number
662300700

Videos

Duties

Help
  • You will be responsible for independently conducting laboratory and computer based research in support of the Navy's Chemical Biological Radiation (CBR) Defense mission.
  • You will be responsible for adhering to all Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Navy (DoN), and internal policies for the safe and rigorous conduct of said research.
  • You will conduct laboratory experiments in chemistry and biology, laboratory and field testing in chemistry and biology, and technical design and invention of CBRD technologies.
  • You will perform duties in relation to: project management, data interpretation, report authorship, experimental design, and computer based modeling and simulation.
  • You will be responsible for classified and unclassified literature reviews and authoring research reports and briefings on the materials found therein.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
  • New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Per the preliminary nationwide injunction on E.O. 14043, COVID-19 vaccinations will not be implemented or enforced. For more information on vaccine status and workplace safety protocol requirements see Additional Information below.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana) is required. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if you fail to report to the drug test appointment or fail the test. You will be subject to random testing.
  • This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.
  • You will be required to successfully complete a pre-appointment physical examination.
  • You will be required to perform occasional work in a lab environment.

Qualifications

FOR ND-04: In addition to the basic education requirements, your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower pay band ND-03 (GS-09/11 equivalent) grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: as a professional engineer or scientist, applying engineering/scientific theories, concepts, and practices to conduct and analyze laboratory or computer based research (e.g. modeling and simulation) related to chemical/biochemical areas to meet mission requirements for development of Chemical, Biological, and Radiation (CBR) Defense system projects.

FOR ND-03: In addition to the basic education requirements, your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower pay band ND-02 (GS-05/08 equivalent) grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: as a professional engineer or scientist, applying engineering/scientific theories, concepts, and practices to conduct laboratory or computer based research (e.g. modeling and simulation) related to chemical/biochemical areas supporting Chemical, Biological, and Radiation (CBR) Defense systems.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
IOR: Professional Chemical Engineering Series, 0893: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series AND https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

IOR: Professional Microbiology Series, 0403: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/microbiology-series-0403/

IOR: Professional Chemistry Series,1320: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/chemistry-series-1320/

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

Applicants must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
FOR 0893:Successful completion of a professional engineering degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
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 more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org
OR
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 The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html.
OR
Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A (above). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A (above)
OR
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 one 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.

FOR 0403:
Successful completion of a degree in microbiology. -OR
Have a degree in biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent. -OR
Have a combination of education and experience that includes courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR 1320
Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics. -OR
Have a combination of education and experience with course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

You may qualify with the following education or combination of both education and experience:
FOR ND-03:

Successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree.-OR
Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree.-OR
Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering and 1 year of appropriate professional experience that required and was characterized by 1) professional knowledge of engineering, 2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems, and 3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.-OR
Combination of a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement and 1 year of appropriate professional experience that required and was characterized by 1) professional knowledge of engineering, 2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems, and 3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.

Additional information

COVID VACCINATION INFORMATION: To comply with the recent preliminary nationwide injunction on Executive Order 14043, Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees, the Department of the Navy is not taking any action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. New hires will need to provide their vaccination status as well as comply with workplace safety protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

SALARY INFORMATION:
ND-03: $56,086 - $97,430
ND-04: $74,950 - $138,868

This position is eligible for part time, substantial, or ad-hoc telework at the discretion of management.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees.

A relocation incentive is generally a single payment intended to offset some of the relocation costs experienced by the selectee. A relocation incentive may be authorized.

Vacancies filled from this announcement may be filled at any grade level listed.

If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

If you are unable to apply online and request information about the Alternate Application process, please contact the Department of Navy's Employment Information Center.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf

ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/ictap/

Military Spouse Preference applicants will receive priority consideration at the Full Performance Level (FPL) and if determined to be Best Qualified at the FPL, and selected, must be placed at the FPL. A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.

How you will be evaluated

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

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
  • CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
  • CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES, THEORIES, AND PRACTICES
  • ORAL COMMUNICATION
  • PROBLEM SOLVING
  • RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
  • WRITTEN COMMUNICATION


You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.