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PHYSICAL SCIENCE TECHNICIAN

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

Summary

You will serve as a PHYSICAL SCIENCE TECHNICIAN in the RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING DIVISION, RADIOLOGICAL CONTROL OFFICE of PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD.

****THIS IS A COMPETITIVE DETAIL TO TRAINING, NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR, AT THE CURRENT PAY LEVEL OF THE INCUMBENT. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE TRAINING THE INCUMBENT MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO BE EXTENDED IN THE POSITION.****

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/17/2025 to 10/24/2025
Salary
$51,336 to - $74,391 per year

GS-06: $57,226-$74,391; GS-05: $51,336-$66,731

Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 6
Location
5 vacancies in the following location:
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Kittery, ME
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Detail - NOT TO EXCEED 1 YEAR; MAY BE EXTENDED WITHOUT FURTHER COMPETITION
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
10
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This is a bargaining unit position.
Announcement number
ST-12815544-26-AK
Control number
848274400

Duties

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  • You will overhaul and refuel nuclear powered vessels, in a wide range of radiological control operations.
  • You will ensure adherence to radiological control requirements for assignments which involve numerous processes in several high skill level trades.
  • You will serve as a major radiological control representative in "dry run" planning, practice, or "mock-up" sessions in preparation for major repairs and overhaul or refueling operations.
  • You will take charge of response to radiation related emergencies and incidents until replaced by a senior radiological control supervisor or manager.
  • You will perform other duties as assigned.

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
  • Generally, current federal employees applying for GS jobs must serve at least one year at the next lower grade level. This requirement is called time-in-grade. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • 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 qualifications in multiple programs and processes while working in the Radiological Monitoring Division.
  • You will be required to successfully complete a pre-appointment physical examination.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final 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.
  • You will be required to wear personal protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, coveralls, glasses, goggles, respirators and safety shoes continuously for the duration of the work shift.
  • Work is performed in areas where potentially harmful physical and chemical agents are present (e.g. fumes, dust, heat, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and chemicals). You will be required to participate in medical surveillance programs.
  • This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.

Qualifications

GS-06: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Applying knowledge of local shipyard radiological survey and control practices and requirements to assisting with implementing recurring storage and decontamination activities.
  • Assisting with utilizing ship and shipyard layout (including location of safety and emergency equipment, drain water and sewage systems, harbor, contaminated equipment, and radiation sources) knowledge to plan ways to control possible incidents.
  • Interpreting work plans to detect deviations from approved procedures and ensure compliance with radiological safety requirements.
  • Monitoring ongoing equipment decontamination operations and procedures to detect and correct deficiencies, prevent incidents, and improve radiological safety.
  • Ensuring adequacy of various standard containment and ventilation systems and procedures.
GS-05: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-04 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Applying knowledge of ship and shipyard layout to assist with planning ways to control possible incidents.
  • Assisting with applying standardized rules, procedures, methods, techniques, and operations that apply to radiological principles or health physics.
  • Assisting with gathering, recording, and assembling pertinent data and report observations and findings to appropriate personnel.
  • Assisting with monitoring ongoing equipment decontamination operations and procedures to detect and correct deficiencies, prevent incidents, and improve radiological safety.
  • Assisting with ensuring adequacy of various standard containment and ventilation systems and procedures.
Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/physical-science-technician-series-1311/

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-TECH

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

Applicants may substitute the following education for the required experience, provided it includes courses directly related to the work of the position:

GS-06: Successful completion of one semester (9 hours) of directly-related graduate-level education leading to a Master's degree from an accredited college or university.

GS-05: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in an appropriate field of physical science, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as physical science, engineering, or any branch of mathematics, except financial and commercial mathematics.

NOTE: If you are claiming substitution of education for experience, you must submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. Failure to upload the transcripts will result in an ineligible rating.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of graduate-level education and experience may be used 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). 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: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

A transcript must be submitted with your application if qualifying using education. See Required Documents for additional information.

Additional information

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

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

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.

During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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

ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.

Vacancies filled from this announcement may be filled at any grade level listed.

If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume. You must submit the applicable documents listed in the Required Documents section and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package. Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager. Cover letter is optional.

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.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies:

RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY
ANALYTICAL CONCEPTS, POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES
DECISIVENESS
ACCOUNTABILITY

This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: USA Hire & Structured Resume Review.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

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

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

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