Research novel materials for semiconductor applications and related fields, including materials for memory stacks, dielectric and ferroelectric applications, and quantum electronics.
Conduct research using the capabilities of NIST's beamline for materials measurement, including X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction.
Assist in the support of beamline operations and develop research efforts and collaborations using beamline capabilities.
Develop new beamline capabilities using newly procured detectors and instrumentation.
Communicate and collaborate with team members, other NIST teams, and external teams.
A. Degree: physics; or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In either A or B above, the courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, courses in any two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound.
In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must also have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 (ZP-II at NIST) level. Specialized Experience is defined as experience in the use of synchrotron radiation and operation of synchrotron beamlines and related instrumentation for planning and executing X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and/or synchrotron X-ray Scattering experiments is required. A background in materials physics, inorganic chemistry, or a closely related field with an emphasis on the determination of structure/function relationships using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and/or X-ray Diffraction.
OR
Master's or equivalent graduate degree as defined in the basic requirements.
OR
A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as defined in the additional requirements
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done. We will credit all qualifying volunteer experience in your application.
The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.
This position has an education requirement. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required prior to a final offer of employment.
Education completed outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with a course by course listing) is required with your application.
Additional information
This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS). The APMS is a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Find out more about the APMS here!
Your application package may be shared with other selecting officials at NIST for similar opportunities and additional selections may be made from this vacancy.
Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible in order to make qualification or eligibility determinations.
A trial period may be required.
This appointment may be extended up to four years without further competition.
We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities such as:
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination. You MUST also selected at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) in order to receive consideration for this position.
REFERRAL
All applicants that meet the minimum qualifications will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are not rated and ranked and veteran's preference does not apply.
CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
A COMPLETE APPLICATION INCLUDES: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a four-step process on how to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time the closing date of the announcement unless an applicant cut off has been identified (see the SUMMARY section, as appropriate). If an applicant cut off has been indicated, the announcement will close by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the cut off number has been met.Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
NEED HELP?
-If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button): please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance.
- If having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
- If experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply on-line, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during normal business hours to discuss your situation.
Materials Measurement Science Division
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
We will update applicant statuses when:
A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A COMPLETE APPLICATION INCLUDES: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a four-step process on how to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time the closing date of the announcement unless an applicant cut off has been identified (see the SUMMARY section, as appropriate). If an applicant cut off has been indicated, the announcement will close by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the cut off number has been met.Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
NEED HELP?
-If experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button): please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance.
- If having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
- If experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply on-line, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during normal business hours to discuss your situation.
Materials Measurement Science Division
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
We will update applicant statuses when:
A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
Applications are referred to the selecting official.
A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
