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Lead Meteorologist

Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Forecast Office (WFO), Arizona (AZ)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

*Applicants currently occupying a 1340 series position in the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and applying under competitive merit promotion procedures are covered under the "Exception" clause and DO NOT need to submit transcripts.

This position is located within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Forecast Office (WFO) with one vacancy located in Phoenix, AZ.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Posted 08/27/24
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$108,012 - $140,419 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
NWS WR AZ-24-12509092-IMP
Control number
804832500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current permanent Federal employee within the National Weather Service, or Department of Commerce CTAP eligible within the local commuting area of this position.

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Duties

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As a Lead Meteorologist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Serve as the shift leader responsible for quality and timeliness of all NWS forecast and service products, warnings, and advisories prepared and issued by the Weather Forecast Office (WFO).
  • Conduct a weather watch which involves interpretation of Doppler radar data, satellite imagery, and the analysis of other hydrometeorological data for the preparation of all WFO warning, forecast and service products, including individual briefings.
  • Serve as the primary contact with other Federal, state, and local agencies such as FAA, FEMA, and emergency management and law enforcement officials over matters involving the initiation and implementation of immediate or emergency public health and safety measures based on NWS forecasts, warnings and watches.
  • Handle general office administrative matters which may occur on shift including augmenting staff, approving overtime and leave.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: Rotating shift work is required with the WFO and/or National Center in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During periods of threatening weather or rapidly changing weather conditions, the increase in workload and the necessity for rapid dissemination of weather warnings and updates requires periods of acute mental focus and produces considerable mental stress. Adverse weather conditions often require the incumbent to work hours longer than the usual shift, adding to mental and physical stress.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Working on rotating shifts is routinely required with the WFO or National Center in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Incumbent must maintain sharp mental focus during highly stressful events. Incumbent will be required to maintain weather watch at office when general public is evacuating the area.

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. Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.
  5. This position is in the bargaining unit. This position is covered by (1538).
  6. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  7. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  8. Qualification requirements must be met by closing date of the announcement.
  • 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.
  • If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. You MUST meet the following requirements:

EDUCATION:

A. Degree: meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included:

a. At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of:
i. Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;*
ii. Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale);
iii. Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and
iv. Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.

b. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.*

c. Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.*

d. At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science.

* There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

-AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). 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.

To qualify at the GS-13 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Analyzing and assessing the current and forecast weather situation at both the synoptic and mesoscale levels;
  • Devising, formulating and disseminating hydrometeorological forecasts, watches, warnings and advisories;
  • Using dual polarization radar to issue forecasts and warnings; and
  • Providing briefings to government or other decision makers on hazardous weather or water events.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation

Transcripts

--If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Please ensure that all documentation is legible.

Additional information

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

  1. A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
  2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
  3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

NOAA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

The Department of the Commerce (DOC) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

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 documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions).However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Meteorology
  • Remote Sensing
  • Technical Competence


--NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible and/or not qualified.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12509092

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency within the US Department of Commerce that focuses on the conditions of the oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere. NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts seas, guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conducts research to provide understanding and improve stewardship of the environment.

Agency contact information

Applicant Inquiries
Email
noaa.applicantinquiries@noaa.gov
Address
NOAA Office of Human Capital Services (OHCS)
1315 East West Hwy
SSMC4
Silver Spring, MD 20910
US

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