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What Do I Need to Know About this Position (Continued from Summary Section above):

Salary Information
(Salary listed below are Rest of U.S. rates - actual salary rates will be based on the duty station of the selectee):

• GS-11 - $69,107 (Step 01) to $89,835 (Step 10)
• GS-12 - $82,830 (Step 01) to $107,680 (Step 10)

New hires are typically hired at the Step 01.

Clarification on Duty Station
The physical worksite options for this advertisement are located in Menlo Park, CA or another location determined at the time of selection. This position is eligible for workplace flexibilities which may include remote work or telework options. The final duty station of the selectee will be a joint decision made between the selectee and the hiring official. Locality pay will be adjusted appropriately and determined by the final duty location of each selectee.

Remote Work: Remote work is a flexible arrangement in which an employee conducts their work from a personally designated location, most often their residence. If your final duty location is anywhere other than Menlo Park, CA, you will be considered a remote worker.

Telework Eligibility: If your final duty location is Menlo Park, CA, you may have the option to telework in accordance with DOI Telework policy and with supervisory approval. The selectee will typically report to the designated physical worksite on a regular and recurring weekly basis.



DUTIES:
As a Data Quality Analyst for the Early Earthquake Warning system within the Earthquake Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

• Monitors earthquake motions in the ground and/or structures using scientific instrumentation and computer systems/applications.
• Analyzes seismic waveform data quality and diagnoses data problems using digital seismological data acquisition including sensor technology, digitizers, filtering, and instrument response.
• Modifies or develops computer programs and/or scripts for seismological and state-of-health data acquisition and processing.
• Uses operating software systems for seismic processing and/or earthquake product creating distribution (for example, AQMS, Earthworm, or ShakeMap).
• Collects data and manages metadata from operating geophysical monitoring networks, arrays, and individual stations.
• Writes reports and clearly presents complex technical information both orally and in writing to a variety of audiences on earthquake activity, earthquake processes, and earthquake hazards.
• Operates a government owned or leased vehicle as an incidental driver.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items, such as papers, books, or small parts; or driving an automobile. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
3. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
4. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
5. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

• If selected you may be asked to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as those related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
• This vacancy is limited to the first 40 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes.

• Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
• A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Physical Scientist, all grade levels.

A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

**OR

B. A combination of education and experience--education equivalent to one of the majors shown in "A" above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science, engineering, or mathematics) that included at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science as described above, plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)

For GS-11:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:

**Three years of progressively higher level graduate education (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. degree in physical science or other directly related field of study or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in physical science or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled.

**OR one year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Examples of such experience may include independent responsibility for a well-defined study or for a phase of a larger study that required the planning and carrying out of routine physical science work. This work would have required the individual to select and make minor adaptations to procedures and accepted practices and handle unexpected conditions arising in the normal course of the work. At this level, physical scientists have the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work.

**OR a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described, above that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)

For GS-12:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-12 level:

One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Examples of such experience may include planning and executing complex physical science studies, which usually involved intensive investigations into recognized phenomena. This work typically involved conventional methods and techniques though it required going beyond clear precedents, and required adapting methods to the problems at hand and interpreting findings in terms of their scientific significance. At this level, physical scientists have the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty.


You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

--Basis of Rating: The government-wide STEM direct hire authority for Physical Scientist, GS-1301 is being used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration.