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Interdisciplinary General Engineer/ Physical Scientist

Department of Energy
Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Office of Science - Pacific Northwest Site Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the Office of Science - Pacific Northwest Site Office, Department of Energy. As a Interdisciplinary General Engineer/ Physical Scientist, you will collaborate with organization Worker Safety and Health Program Managers, Facility Representatives, and other staff to assess and ensure proper integration of programs, requirements and operations, and supporting external assessment activities, and assessments led by subject matter experts provided by the organization.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/05/2023 to 09/15/2023
Salary
$82,830 to - $128,043 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Richland, WA
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
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
L Access Authorization
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Announcement number
23-PS-00057-12101812-MP
Control number
746167100

Duties

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

  • Collaborate with other scientist, engineers, staff and management officials on difficult or controversial technical science matters.
  • Perform field reviews of directives and standards related to nuclear and facility safety in support of SC (numerous REVCOM directives/standards and industrial standards reviews per year).
  • Collaborate with organization Worker Safety and Health Program Managers, Facility Representatives, and other staff to assess and ensure proper integration of programs, requirements and operations, and supporting external assessment activities, and assessments led by subject matter experts provided by the Office of Science Safety and Security (OSS) organization.
  • Perform evaluations of high hazard nuclear and non-nuclear facility operations for risk assessment and adequate controls.
  • Perform oversight of the organization's safety management programs, including electrical safety, conduct of operations, maintenance, training, and accelerator safety programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.
  • This position is included in the Department of Energy's Technical Qualification Program (TQP). The selectee will be required to meet specific technical qualification standards within a reasonable period of time (typically from 12 to 18 months).
  • This position has been designated as non-Critical and requires a "L" level security clearance. The incumbent is required to obtain and maintain this clearance level; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
  • This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
  • You are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of entering the position and annually (5CFR Part 2634, Subpart I USOGE, 6/08).
  • Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Subject to satisfactory security and suitability requirements.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Occasional travel may be required.
  • This position does not support 100% remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified by the supervisor, but no less than 2 days per pay period.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement for General Engineer 0801:

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) 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.

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), 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) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration, by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or 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 A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.

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 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.

Basic Requirement for Physical Scientist 1301:

A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) 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

B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to one of the majors, as 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 requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

GS-12: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 of the 3 following:

  • Working with organization Worker Safety and Health Program Managers, Facility Representatives, or other staff to assess and ensure proper integration of programs, requirements and operations.
  • Assisting in planning and organizing projects and processes.
  • Assisting with the evaluations of high hazard nuclear and non-nuclear facility operations for risk assessment and adequate controls.



GS-13: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 3 of the 4 following:

  • Coordinating with organization Worker Safety and Health Program Managers, Facility Representatives, or other staff to assess and ensure proper integration of programs, requirements and operations.
  • Providing other scientists and/or engineers recommendations relative to planning, organizing and implementing processes of the organization electrical safety, conduct of operations, maintenance and training, and accelerator safety programs.
  • Performing evaluations of high hazard nuclear and non-nuclear facility operations for risk assessment and adequate controls.
  • Participating in field reviews of directives and standards related to facility safety.

The OPM Group Qualification Standard for this position is: General Engineer: General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov); Physical Scientist: General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov).

The Individual Occupational Requirement for this position is: General Engineer: all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf (opm.gov); Physical Scientist: General Physical Science Series, 1301 (opm.gov).

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 or GS-13 level.

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.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

  • Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
  • New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates.
  • Relocation incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available.
  • Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement
    Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Veterans_Information
    Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements above. Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

Merit Promotion & VEOA Procedures: 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 to determine if you are a best qualified candidate. 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. Due weight will also be given to federal employees, when applicable, for performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR ? 335.103(b)(3). Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration.

Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Use specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position.

  • Facilities
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Research
  • Safety Engineering
  • Technical Competence


Non-competitive Procedures: If you are applying under a non-competitive or special hiring authority, you will still be required to answer the assessment questions. However, you will not be evaluated against the rating and ranking criteria. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you are minimally qualified for this job. Veterans' Preference will be applied when required by the hiring authority (e.g., VRA, Schedule A).

All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date ( 09/15/2023) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12101812.

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