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ASTRONOMER

Department of the Navy
United States Fleet Forces Command
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will not be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants must follow the directions in the "How to Apply" section of this flyer to be considered. There may or may not be actual vacancies filled from this flyer. Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.

GS-11: $84,601 - $109,975
GS-12: $101,401 - $131,826

Overview

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Job closed
Open & closing dates
01/06/2025 to 01/15/2025
Salary
$84,601 to - $131,826 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for part time, substantial or ad-hoc telework at the discretion of management.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DE-12657916-25-CAK
Control number
826333700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. CITIZENS

Duties

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  • You will serve as an ASTRONOMER in the Earth Orientation Department, GPS Analysis Division of the U.S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY.
  • You will participate in GPS and GNSS analysis activities such as, estimating satellite orbits, receiver-and satellite-clock corrections, positions of the earth's rotation pole, UT1 values, and other related quantities from GPS and GNSS measurements.
  • You will be responsible for the daily determination of earth orientation parameters using state of-the-art methods in software analysis including daily monitoring activities.
  • You will develop test plans, interpret test results and resolve inconsistencies
  • You will validate that existing algorithms and inputs that are currently in use at USNO produce accurate estimates with a focus on GNSS estimates.
  • You will write and present scientific/technical material to audiences and standard operating procedures.
  • You will develop and maintain knowledge in celestial mechanics, orbit determination, geodesy, geophysics, time series analysis, statistics, data analysis software, and computer programming/software design.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
  • New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final TOP SECRET security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana) is required. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if you fail to report to the drug test appointment or fail the test. You will be subject to random testing.

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Degree: in one or a combination of astronomy, physics, mathematics, space science, or electronics. The course work must have included differential and integral calculus and 12 semester hours in astronomy and/or physics.
OR
  1. Combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours of courses equivalent to a major in any combination of astronomy, space science, physics, mathematics, and electronics, with required course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
EXPERIENCE:
GS-12: In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector:
  • Experience applying a technical knowledge in celestial mechanics, orbit determination, geodesy, geophysics, time series analysis, statistics, data analysis software, and computer programming/software design.
  • Experience analyzing GPS or GNSS signals or processing outputs.
  • Experience utilizing software that uses complex algorithms to estimate GPS and GNSS satellite orbits, receiver-and satellite-clock corrections, positions of the earth's rotation pole, UT1 values, and other related quantities from GPS or GNSS measurements.
  • Experience with high level computer languages such as FORTRAN, C, C++, and python. Must be capable of understanding and using LINUX computer systems with minimum delay.
  • Experience documenting technical notes, preparing scientific papers, and presenting the results of research at scientific meetings.
GS-11: In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector:
  • Experience applying a technical knowledge in celestial mechanics, orbit determination, geodesy, geophysics, time series analysis, statistics, data analysis software, and computer programming/software design.
  • Experience estimating satellite orbits, receiver-and satellite-clock corrections, positions of the earth's rotation pole, UT1 values, or other related quantities from GPS or GNSS measurements.
  • Experience with high level computer languages such as FORTRAN, C, C++, and python. Must be capable of understanding and using LINUX computer systems with minimum delay.
  • Experience documenting technical notes, preparing scientific papers, and presenting the results of research at scientific meetings.
Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: Astronomy and Space Science Series 1330

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Degree: in one or a combination of astronomy, physics, mathematics, space science, or electronics. The course work must have included differential and integral calculus and 12 semester hours in astronomy and/or physics.
OR
  1. Combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours of courses equivalent to a major in any combination of astronomy, space science, physics, mathematics, and electronics, with required course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: In addition to the basic education requirements, applicants may substitute the following education for the required experience, provided it demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position:
GS-12: NOT APPLICABLE
GS-11: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be combined to meet the total qualification requirements.
If you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you must submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume.
IF CLAIMING EDUCATION, FAILURE TO SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS/ITEMIZED LIST WILL RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING. See OPM's General Policies for information on crediting education. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements if the applicant can provide documentation indicating that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide such evidence when applying for further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Several vacancies may be filled.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf.

Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this specific hiring authority. However, if you claim veteran's preference, you will be required to submit supporting documentation with your application as described in the Required Documents section below.

How you will be evaluated

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

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.

As vacancies occur, the Human Resources Office will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this flyer. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume, along with your supporting documentation.

If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All qualification requirements must be met before being considered for any vacancies.

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