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CHEMICAL ENGINEER (RECENT GRADUATE)

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The incumbent will be responsible for chemical engineer/investigator, providing technical and analytical assistance in chemical investigations. You will serve in a trainee capacity, performing routine and recurring developmental assignments to acquire knowledge and an understanding of functions, principles, practices, and methods used in the area of Chemical Engineering.

The announcement was extended until 06/20/2023.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/23/2023 to 06/20/2023
Salary
$52,106 to - $78,440 per year

The salary is based off the RUS pay chart. Pay may be adjusted to selectees location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Recent graduates
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CSB-23-PW-11978385NS
Control number
727442600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Please see Additional Information Section for more information.

Duties

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  • Assists in chemical investigations by providing necessary logistical support for on-site activities. This includes equipment and materials, obtaining local services such as court reporters, and communicating with local officials.
  • Performs research and analyses of issues relating to investigations. Research subjects include existing regulations applicable to the industry, and a variety of topics resulting from the work of investigation teams.
  • Writes reports of accidental release events to include the facts, circumstances, conditions associated with the incident and develops the cause/probable cause based on information obtained during the investigation process.
  • Evaluates additional information about the incident against the criteria of the incident selection process and provides appropriate recommendations

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
  • Direct Deposit of pay is required
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
  • Must have completed, within the previous 2 years (up to 6 years for certain veterans), a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
  • A 1-year trial period is required.
  • A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.

Qualifications

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.

Eligibility Requirements: In order to be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduates Program, the following qualifications must be met:

  • Be a U.S. citizen;

  • Possess a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution, within the previous 2 years.

Veterans: If you are a veteran, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108, who, due to military service obligation, was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period, you shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon your release or discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may your eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which you completed the requirements of an academic course of study.

Basic Requirement for Engineers: (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts. Failure to submit transcripts will result in an ineligible rating.)

A. 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. Please visit ABET's website (www.abet.org) for more information on engineering programs that have received accreditation.

OR

B. 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. For more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org.
  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. 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.
  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.)Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.
In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualification requirement in order to be considered for this position:

At the GS-07, you must meet one of the following qualifications:
A. One full year of graduate level education in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in one of the following field Engineering. The education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work; OR
B.
Superior Academic Achievement OR
C.
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes 1. Assisting more experienced investigators in conducting chemical incident investigations. 2. Prepares preliminary reports based on factual findings during investigations for senior investigator review. 3. Knowledge of basic chemical investigation guidance, policy and laws. OR
D. A combination of education and experience as listed above.

At the GS-09level, you must meet one of the following qualifications:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes 1. Provides analytical and technical assistance in the investigative process to include applying engineering principles, concepts and practices in accidental chemical releases. 2. Researches chemical investigative data and prepares reports. 3. Conducts quality assurance reviews to improve the effectiveness of the products or services to internal and external stakeholders when applicable; OR
B. 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or a master's or equivalent graduate degree., if related in one of the following fields Engineering; OR
C. A Combination of education and experience as list above.

Combination of experience and education: The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

A written test is not required.

Education

You must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. All documentation needs to be legible. If selected, you will need to provide official transcripts.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Superior Academic Achievement: Must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. It is based on:
(1) Class Standing: Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR
(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.): Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR
(3) Honor Society Membership: Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies

Additional information

Program Completion and Conversion Requirement:
At the successful conclusion of the Pathways Program, interns may be eligible for conversion to a permanent or a term (1-4 years in duration) appointment. Conversion is not guaranteed.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Meet qualification requirements for the position to which you will be converted
  • Performed successfully in position and documented through performance evaluations
Telework Suitability: This is a remote position.

Stipulations of Employment:
Appointees must sign a Participant Agreement that sets forth the expectations for the Pathways Program.

The duration of an excepted service appointment in the Pathways Program is a trial period.

Conversion: Appointment under the Recent Graduates Program may not exceed one year (2 years for certain series such as 1102's). Appointees may be non-competitively converted to the competitive service after successful completion of at least one year of continuous service, in addition to all of the requirements of the Recent Graduates Program.

In order to be converted to a term or permanent position you will be required to complete 640 hours of employment.

Work Schedule:
This position requires full-time work schedule. In order to be eligible to receive consideration for this position, you must be able to work the schedule listed. This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
If converted to a permanent or term appointment the intended targeted position will be Chemical Engineer, GS-0893-14. Although, the position and FPL may change based on the need of the organization at the time of conversion. Interns must meet the qualification standards for the series and grade of the position to which being converted.

Upon conversion, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

Physical Requirements: If selected, you will be required to obtain, prior to entrance on duty, a physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position.

CSB uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

Promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information

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, qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The categories for this announcement are defined as: Best-Qualified, Well-Qualified, and Qualified. Your resume and supporting documentation will then be used to determine if you are qualified for this job. 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. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligible within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher.

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

  • Customer Service
  • General Engineering
  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication

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