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Meteorologist

Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), Aircraft Operations Center (AOC)

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), Aircraft Operations Center (AOC), with two vacancies in Lakeland, FL.

This position is also announced under vacancy number OMAO-26-12849528-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/17/2025 to 12/30/2025
Salary
$73,939 to - $115,213 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Lakeland, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - Travel for extended periods of time is a requirement of the position. This may include international travel. Travel status of up to 90 days per year and for periods of four to six weeks at a time is not uncommon.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Shiftwork may be required during operations. This position may require participation in a work schedule which includes irregular hours, evenings, and/or weekend work.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13 - If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you may be non-competitively promoted if you perform successfully and if recommended by management.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position is covered by NWSEO Branch 9-10.
Announcement number
OMAO-26-12849527-ST
Control number
852680300

Duties

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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.

As a Meteorologist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Coordinate team projects/missions and provide technical guidance and direction in monitoring, analyzing, and collecting remote sensing and aircraft in- situ data in dynamic weather environments.
  • Monitor and evaluate real-time weather data, aviation and ground radar, and satellite imagery for both scientific and safety purposes; analyze and assess current and forecasted weather situations at both the synoptic and mesoscale levels, utilizing all necessary warning, advisory and forecast products required for pre-flight mission briefings.
  • Adapt general forecasts to conform to observed local weather phenomena and prepare warnings and advisories. Warn or alert general public of immediate danger situations such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe storms by providing briefings and/or weather updates to decision makers in accordance with procedures.

NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the GS-12; The GS-11 is developmental leading to such performance.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • The position requires that the incumbent engage in mission flights, which may include flights into severe storms to perform the duties of this position and NOAA Air Crewmember duties during these flights.
  • The incumbent is required to meet and maintain the Air Crewmember medical requirements as described in the Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) Operations Manual and the AOC Medical Policy. For AOC purposes, a valid Class 3 FAA Medical Certificate without limitations will be deemed equivalent to an Aircrew Medical Examination.
  • The position requires strict adherence to safety procedures and training due to exposure to potentially severe weather conditions and hazardous flight environments.
  • This position is designated as a flight crewmember with critical safety or security responsibilities and as such, has been designated as a testing designated position (TDP); as a condition of employment, the incumbent of a TDP is subject to a random drug test that occurs without suspicion that an individual is using illegal drugs.
  • The position contributes directly to NOAA fulfillment of public safety responsibilities and delivery of essential activities which likely protect life and property. NOAA aircraft operate throughout the world providing a wide range of capabilities including hurricane reconnaissance and research, marine mammal and fisheries assessment, flooding, fires, disaster response, emergency services, and coastal mapping.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Work is split between office and flight conditions.
  • Serves as a crewmember onboard government aircraft. Assignments often entail flying into dynamic and hazardous weather environments.
  • Must be able to climb an aircraft ladder, and at times be able to carry equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.
  • Position requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 3rd class or equivalent physical evaluation, based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aviation policy.
  • Traveling across the US and to foreign countries is not uncommon.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
  • Incumbent serves as a NOAA Air Crewmember on missions which may include flights into severe storms. Flying environment may be turbulent. Aircraft noise levels may be greater than 85 decibels.
  • Fieldwork may occur anywhere in the world, under less than adequate living and working conditions. Deployed areas may require exposure to extremes from tropical heat, or subzero arctic cold.
  • Incumbent receives training in safety procedures, aircraft egress, water survival, and must follow all NOAA and FAA safety regulations related to the position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
  • Qualification requirements must be met by closing date of the announcement.

Additional Considerations:

  • One year probationary period may be required.
  • Payment of Relocation Incentives may be authorized.
  • Payment of Recruitment Incentives may be authorized.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • Your performance and conduct;
  • Needs and interests of the agency;
  • Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of then Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
  • 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.
  • This position is subject to both pre-employment and random drug testing as a condition of employment. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.

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 requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination in order to be found minimally qualified. You MUST meet the following basic requirements:

To qualify for the 1340 series:

EDUCATION:

A. Degree: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or other natural science major that included:

1. At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of:

  • Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;*
  • Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale);
  • Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and
  • Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.

2. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.*
3. Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.*
4. 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-11 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-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
  • Assisting with collecting or analyzing real-time remote sensing or aircraft data to assess current and forecasted weather situations;and
  • Assisting with monitoring or evaluating the validation and quality of real-time meteorological data.
OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science or in a directly related field or 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirements. Note: Only graduate-level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

To qualify at the GS-12 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-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
  • Collecting or analyzing real-time remote sensing or aircraft data to assess current and forecasted weather situations;
  • Monitoring or evaluating the validation and quality of real-time meteorological data; and
  • Analyzing aviation hazards, identifying risks, and recommending solutions to aviation customers.

Education

This position has a positive Education Requirement. 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. 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. We may only consider documentation provided prior to the closing date of the announcement. Please see degree and experience requirements in the Qualifications section.

Notes: 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.

Additional information

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible 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 CTAP and 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.
ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
  1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
  2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
  3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents:
1. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action: you must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position. (do not submit an Award SF-50) AND, the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND.
2. Performance Appraisal - most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan that does not include this information.

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 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents).

Additionally, a Job Knowledge Test will be used in order to assess technical and professional expertise directly relevant to the requirements of this announcement. This assessment measures the specialized knowledge and skills accumulated over time, which are critical for successful performance in this position.

  • Meteorology
  • Remote Sensing
  • Technical Competence


Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

If referred, all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12849527

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