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INTERDISCIPLINARY General Engineer/Physical Scientist (RECENT GRADUATE)

Department of Energy
Department of Energy - Agency Wide
EE- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Headquarters. As a INTERDISCIPLINARY General Engineer/Physical Scientist (RECENT GRADUATE), you will be in a developmental position within the Pathways Recent Graduate program & will be assisting with technically scientific and engineering projects or initiatives, which may include but not limited to scientific and engineering design, development, implementation and evaluation of these programs/projects.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/02/2023 to 03/16/2023
Salary
$63,271 to - $102,166 per year

Pay will vary by geographic location AND grade level.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Golden, CO
Washington
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-EE-01497-11865257-RG
Control number
709815300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Nationals, and Foreign Nationals who meet both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws who also meet the requirements of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. See the Requirements, Qualifications, and Education sections of this announcement for more information.

Duties

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As an Interdisciplinary General Engineer/Physical Scientist, you will:

  • Assist in the planning and execution of a variety of engineering and/or scientific projects or initiatives that involve unusual problems, issues, or conditions.
  • Conduct analysis of technical scientific and/or engineering issues, requirements and development efforts to resolve conflicts and issues.
  • Coordinate projects with other scientists and engineers in related disciplines (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geophysics, Geology, Hydrology, etc.) to ensure all scientific and engineering considerations have been addressed.
  • Present data on program/project progress to both technical and non-technical audiences. Attend and/or materially participate in professional society meetings, other professional symposia and conferences to stay current in scientific and/or engineering developments and to exchange ideas with other scientists, engineers, and professionals in related fields.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Foreign National who meets both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • A 1-year trial period is required.
  • A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.
  • Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the entire duration of their excepted service appointment.
  • Applicants must provide documentation of completion within the previous 2 years of a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
  • Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply.

Qualifications

**Please note these series do have Basic Education Requirements that MUST be met. These are listed in the Education portion of the vacancy announcement. There is one for the 0801 series and one for the 1301 series.**

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-9: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

  • Assisting in identifying and resolving issues which could have an impact on programs/projects.
OR EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-11: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:
  • Assisting in preparing written evaluations/reports to identify inadequacies or weaknesses and making recommendations for improvement.; AND
  • Gathering and analyzing information concerning engineering, energy, or environmental impacts.

OR EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience.

You must meet ALL qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (03/16/2023) of this announcement.

DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Education

You must meet the following Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 0801 series:

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 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)1, 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 -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 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.)
You must meet the following Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for the 1301 series:
  1. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a Bachelor's degree or higher in 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 above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
You must submit transcripts with your application for proof of education with degree conferred or expected date.

To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be a:

  • Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
-OR-
  • Students who within 3 months of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associate, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated.
-OR-
  • Preference eligible veteran who was precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation.
If substituting education for specialized experience, you must submit proof of your qualifying education.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Failure to provide college transcripts may result in a rating of 'Ineligible'.

Additional information

CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOE has the option to convert a Recent Graduate position to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to permanent or term position you must:
  • Be a US Citizen
  • Be recommended for conversion by your manager.
  • Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period.
  • Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service.
  • Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal.
  • Met the OPM qualification standard for the position to which you will be converted.
  • A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the self-assessment questions (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) will be evaluated and you will be placed into one of three pre-defined quality categories under Category Rating procedures. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Knowledge Management
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Research
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Documentation


Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11865257

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