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SCIENTIST

Department of the Navy
Naval Sea Systems Command
NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER INDIAN HEAD DIVISION

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.

Duties are listed at the FPL ND-04.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/08/2025 to 12/16/2025
Salary
$69,923 to - $156,755 per year

ND-03 $69,923 - $109,975; ND-04 $101,401 - $156,755

Pay scale & grade
ND 3 - 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Indian Head, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for ad-hoc/situational telework at the discretion of management.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation incentives as described in 5 USC 5753 may be authorized in accordance with applicable regulations. PCS is not authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
DE-12844360-26-NMS
Control number
851820200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens

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Duties

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  • You will serve as a SCIENTIST in the Research and Engineering Dept (E), in Novel Materials and Characterization Branch (E61) of Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division located in Indian Head, MD.
  • You will perform laboratory and range operations with minimal oversight aimed at organic synthesis, characterization, analysis, scale up and production of energetic materials and their constituents.
  • You will perform independent complex research and development, and report results in peer-reviewed forums.
  • You will develop original proposals/cost estimates/statements of work to secure external and internal funding for work to be executed.
  • You will execute complex programs involving multiple personnel in different technical departments and manage necessary equipment/resources.
  • You will participate in the safety culture and safety programs ongoing and developed at the duty station.

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 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.
  • 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

TO QUALIFY FOR ND-04: Your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the ND-03 (GS-9/GS-11 equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: as a professional Scientist, applying scientific theories, concepts, and practices to analyze and develop new energetic materials to meet mission requirements in support of an energetic or ordnance program.

TO QUALIFY FOR ND-03: Your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the ND-02 (GS-5/GS-8 equivalent) grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: as a professional Scientist, applying basic scientific principles to assist with or conduct research related to the development of energetic materials utilizing basic techniques, procedures, and methods.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: IOR: Chemistry Series, 1320 AND Professional and Scientific Positions.

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.

The Secretary of Defense has ordered a department-wide hiring freeze subject to certain limited exceptions. This position is subject to the DoD hiring freeze. Offers of employment related to this vacancy announcement will not be executed until the position has an approved exemption.

Education

Applicants must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:

FOR 1320:

A. Degree: physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR ND-03:
In lieu of specialized experience, you may qualify with the following education or combination of both education and experience:

  • Successful completion of master's or equivalent graduate degree.
  • Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree.
  • Havea combination of experience and graduate education as described above that equates to one year of experience.

Additional information

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

This announcement uses the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL) Direct Hire Authority for STRL Mission Support to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

This position is part of the Warfare Centers Personnel Demonstration Project. The ND-03 pay band encompasses positions equivalent to the GS-9 through GS-11; the ND-04 pay band encompasses positions equivalent to the GS-12 and GS-13.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees.

A relocation incentive is generally a single payment intended to offset some of the relocation costs experienced by the selectee. A relocation incentive may be authorized.

Several vacancies may be filled.

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.

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.

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.

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. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be 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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