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Physical Scientist

Department of Commerce
National Institute of Standards and Technology
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Department of Commerce ranked top 5 in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government amongst large agencies for the 12th year in a row! The ranking showcases the Department's continued commitment to increasing our employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and positive perceptions towards diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Come join our team!

This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/10/2024 to 07/23/2024
Salary
$82,764 to - $128,956 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZP 3
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Gaithersburg, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional Travel to Conferences or Trade Shows
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
3
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MML-640-24-12473123-DH
Control number
798950900

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Duties

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Applicant will be responsible for the following duties:
- Perform the role of Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat) Evaluator to create, review, edit, and determine Hazardous Shipping assessment for SRMs, based on 49 CFR and IATA, for chemicals, bio, and radioactive materials.
- Lead a scientific review of documentation (certificates, Safety Data Sheets, and product labels) and create custom SRM Safety Data Sheets and labels using ORM's quality processes, ISO 9001, ISO 17034, and OSHA 1910.1200.
- Develop customized Safety Data Sheets (SDS) based on OSHA 1910.1200 by researching various sources to identify health and physical hazards and compare them to shipping regulations and toxicological exposure limits.
- Develop customized SRM product labels compliant with OSHA 1910.1200.
- Use established ORM quality processes and IT systems for documentation production and SRM sale release.
- Monitor SRM documentation progress and work with NIST Laboratories and ORM Staff involved in the process to make SRMs available for sale in a timely and efficient manner.
- Answering scientific questions related to SRMs and participating in division efforts to achieve organizational excellence using the Baldridge framework and ISO 9001 quality standards.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

  1. Degree: 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
  1. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors 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.
AND

In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must also have one of the following:

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 participating in a review process of scientific documentation, assessing safety hazards of laboratory materials, or creating Safety Data Sheets based on a single source or program.

OR

3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree.

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

Combination of education and experience

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.

Applicant Reconsideration

Education

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 probationary period may be required.

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:
  • Telework
  • Flexible work schedules
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid vacation
  • Sick leave
  • Family-friendly leave
  • Childcare subsidy program for qualifying families
  • Child and elder-care resources
  • On-site childcare center
  • Lactation spaces
  • Wellness programs
  • Fitness center
  • Employee assistance programs

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

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