Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Physical Scientist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD), Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Preparedness (OSP) Section
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) works to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement. For information about our bureau go to: http://www.bsee.gov/

Overview

Help
Job canceled
Open & closing dates
11/23/2024 to 12/23/2024
Salary
$59,966 to - $77,955 per year

First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
4 vacancies in the following location:
Jefferson, LA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel up to 25% of the time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
BSEE-EEGG-25- CM-026(DEU)
Control number
820712000

Duties

Help

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD), Preparedness Verification Branch, Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Preparedness (OSP) Section, located in Jefferson, LA.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1.Provides guidance, expert advice, training, and instruction to staff of the Branch on technical review and evaluation of oil spill response plans (OSRPs), plan holder training and exercises, unannounced exercises, oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and ensures all activities are in accordance with national policy.
2. Conducts technical review and evaluation of OSRPs, conducts and evaluates unannounced exercises; inspects and evaluates oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and engages in other oil spill program activities. Administers enforcement processes or refers cases for civil penalty review as appropriate.
3. Leads, assists, or instructs others in the development and execution of government initiated unannounced oil spill exercises; may conduct exercises and/or serve as an evaluator.
4. Prepares and reviews a broad range of complex correspondence to answer or solicit information from lessees, operators, oil spill removal organizations, Federal and state agencies, and the general public.
5. Serves as the lead BSEE representative on Regional Response Teams (RRT), Area Committees, and incident specific RRT calls, providing support, advice and expertise to the National Response System on matters pertinent to oil spill planning, preparedness, and response.
6. Attends meetings and conferences with BSEE personnel; Federal, state, and industry representatives; and the general public concerning the implementation of relevant regulations, policies, and requirements of the OSRP review and approval process.
7. During actual spills the incumbent deploys to incident command posts and serves in designated positions within the Incident Command Structure. Assesses engineering, technical and scientific needs during a spill response and helps coordinate agency support to the Incident Command.

BSEE has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Field work involves equipment inspections, unannounced exercises, operator-led training audits and exercises, sometimes offshore on vessels. This requires regular/recurring physical exertion, related to frequent inspections/surveys, to include considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. All field activities require some form of agility and dexterity. Offshore deployments may involve extended travel on vessels over water, vessel-to-vessel transfers, and the infrequent need to climb into/out of emergency evacuation devices. Spill response equipment inspections may involve overhead operations, movement of heavy machinery, and other activities that require the incumbent to look in all directions and be continuously and clearly aware of surroundings.

The incumbent may be required to deploy to command posts during oil spill incidents and to travel away from the duty station for long periods in excess of a week. Incident deployments are typically located in office settings and may require working more than 12 hours a day. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy.

Work is primarily performed in an office setting with occasional trips to offshore locations, storage yards, and incident command posts. In-office work involves normal everyday risks or discomforts typical of an office setting. Field work exposes the incumbent to adverse conditions such as weather, temperature extremes, and higher accident potential when offshore or in outdoor equipment yards and warehouse environments. The incumbent will typically spend 30-40 days per year conducting field work. Some work conditions may expose the incumbent to high noise levels, marine and other wildlife. Hardhats, safety glasses, safety-toe shoes, hearing protection, selected uniforms for the environment, and other various safety precautions are required.

Salary Information
GS-9: $59,966 - $77,955 per annum.
First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

This vacancy is also announced as BSEE-EEGG-25-CM-027(MP) for those applicants who wish to apply and be considered under Merit Promotion procedures.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
  3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
*Note: You may be required to operate a government vehicle, to complete assigned tasks i.e. site visits, field research, etc.; therefore you must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Travel by auto, plane, helicopter, or boat is required for field work, site visits, meetings, training, and conferences.

**Note: This position may be subject to medical evaluations and monitoring to ensure safety in the performance of duties. The agency is in the process of developing the applicable policies. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND/OR (2) Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

(1) Basic Educational Requirements:
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:

A. 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

B. 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

(2) Specialized Experience
To qualify for the GS-09, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

1) Performing a variety of duties such as observations, computations, compilations and analyses in order to assist higher-level scientists in carrying out physical science assignments;
2) Applying basic physical science principles and standard operating procedures; AND
3) Preparing technical reports with recommendations.
Must meet all.

OR

B. Education: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR

C. Combination of Education and Experience: A qualifying combination of graduate level education and specialized experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education: 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 transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. 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: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. You are being evaluated under the Category Rating method, which means, if you are determined to be qualified you will be placed in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "Platinum", "Gold", and "Silver". However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "Platinum" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.

To preview the application click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12617746

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.