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Equipment Specialist (Marine)

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

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), NOAA Dive Center with one vacancy in Seattle, WA.

This position is also announced under vacancy number OMAO-26-12872600-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/28/2026 to 02/10/2026
Salary
$56,715 to - $99,308 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZA 2
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Seattle, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Up to 25% of domestic travel may be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OMAO-26-12872601-DE
Control number
855668700

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Duties

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As an Equipment Specialist (Marine), you will perform the following duties:

  • Provide maintenance to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Diving Center (NDC) SCUBA equipment such as repairing, overhauling, maintaining, and inspecting equipment. Process shipments of diving regulators and SCUBA gear to and from divers in the field.
  • Analyze equipment performance or maintenance problems and provide advice/recommendations when equipment is at end-of-life. Apply the full range of equipment standards, policies, regulations, and methods to ensure safety and compliance.
  • Perform routine and on-demand service, inspection, and maintenance of SCUBA in support of the Standardized Equipment Program (SEP) for NDC. Service of SCUBA equipment includes disassembly, inspection, cleaning and re-assembly, and testing. SEP equipment includes first and second stage regulators, pressure gauges, alternate air sources, buoyancy compensators, and underwater instrumentation.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
  • The employee works in both clean and dirty shop/warehouse areas that may be noisy and cold or in an office/storage room setting.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • This position requires the ability to move moderate to heavy diving equipment and air tanks weighing up to 50 lbs.
  • This position requires the ability to stand for extended periods in the routine performance of duties.
  • This position requires excellent manual dexterity and fine motor skills to work with small parts and components and effectively use hand tools like wrenches and screwdrivers

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band.

The ZA-2 is equivalent to the GS-07/10.


Key Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. This position requires a Low Risk Security Clearance.
  3. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  4. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.*
  5. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
  6. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  7. Qualification requirements must be met by closing date of the announcement.


Additional Considerations:

  • Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not 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.

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-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position.

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 ZA-2 or GS-07 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-1 or GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

  • Performing maintenance or repairs to SCUBA equipment; and
  • Participating in testing, evaluating, or troubleshooting SCUBA equipment.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: One full year of graduate level education in a field related to the position to be filled.

OR

SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: As demonstrated by a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with one of the following. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your application clearly states how you meet the provision below:
  • A grade point average (GPA) of 2.9 or higher based on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last 2 full years of undergraduate study;
  • A GPA of 3.5 or higher based on a 4.0 scale for required courses completed in a major field of study, or those courses completed in a major field of study during the last two years of undergraduate study;
  • Class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision of the college;
  • Membership in a national Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies.


OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. 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.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. 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 for selection priority 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 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.


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.

We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored Job Knowledge Test and place you in one of the three pre-defined categories. The categories are "gold", "silver" and "bronze". However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored Job Knowledge Test, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. The scored Job Knowledge Test will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

  • Mechanical
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Safety Engineering


How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. For more information on Category Rating, please go to Category Rating.

Basis of Rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Gold, Silver, and Bronze. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

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/12872601

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