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Physical Scientist

Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the United States Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

  • This position is inside the bargaining unit.  
  • Additional selections may be made if authorized. 
  • Writing sample that would demonstrate your analytical writing skills is required during application submission. - Please reference the required documents section.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/05/2022 to 08/26/2022
Salary
$94,373 to - $122,683 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Sandy, UT
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13 - This Position is at The Full Performance Level.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
DH-22-BOS-OSHA-638
Control number
667224300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does NOT apply. Veteran’s preference does not apply.

Duties

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Major duties for this position include but are not limited to the following:

At the GS-13 Grade Level:

  • With only general supervision applies mastery of predictive aerosol physics, aerosol generation, aerosol particle size characterization, size-selective aerosol sampling, and general industrial hygiene and environmental aerosol sampling and analysis to validate aerosol science instrumentation, and sampling approaches to be used for enforcement of health-related exposure standards.
  • Produces written products as a result of test and evaluation activities that are considered technically authoritative and are normally accepted without significant change. Review by supervisor ensures that overall objectives and production requirements are met.
  • Develops advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities related to analytical chemistry methods, instrumentation, and chemistry aspects of industrial hygiene exposure assessment.
  • Independently designs and carries out test programs, projects, studies, or other work related to aerosol science.
  • Applies knowledge of the principles and techniques of statistics related to industrial hygiene exposures and chemical/physical measurements, and to aerosol science.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Position requires Public Trust Background Investigation
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch 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 to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.  

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

A writing sample is required.  Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements. - Please submit a writing sample that would demonstrate your analytical writing skills. It should be no longer than 3-4 pages written by you personally. For example, position, decision, white, or option papers.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

  1. 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

  2. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also meet the Specialized Experience as described below:

To qualify at the GS-13: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-12, in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as experience in the following areas:

  • Producing written reports as a result of test and evaluation activities that are considered technically authoritative and are normally accepted without significant change.
  • Independently designing and carrying out test programs, projects, and studies related to the characterization and quantitation of aerosols.
  • Applied knowledge of statistics to characterize particle size distributions and determine important related statistical metrics related to human health.

EDUCATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTION FOR EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-13 LEVEL.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position.   Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

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

Please review evaluations details here.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SERVES AS PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE USE OF OPM'S DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY. ALL APPLICANTS WHO MEET THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE SELECTING OFFICIAL FOR CONSIDERATION. CATEGORY RATING, VETERAN'S PREFERENCE, AND TRADITIONAL RATING AND RANKING OF APPLICANTS DO NOT APPLY TO THIS POSITION.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Physical Sciences: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods to investigate and apply the relations between space, time, and energy in the areas of gravity, atomic principles, mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity, magnetism, and related natural phenomena.

Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Chemistry: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of the composition, structure, and properties of substances, and of the chemical processes, and transformations, including uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Research: Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods, and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry; including study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.

Mathematical Reasoning: Solves practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical and statistical techniques.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)


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