Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Nationals, and Foreign Nationals who meet both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws who also meet the requirements of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. See the Requirements and Qualification sections of this announcement for more information.

The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) works to discover, integrate, and mature technology solutions to enhance the nation's energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations. Through forward-looking research and technology development, our team of talented and diverse experts provides technology solutions for today and options for tomorrow.

We are truly honored that DOE has been named America's #1 Best Employer for Veterans in 2023 by Forbes-not only among Government agencies, but among employers across the U.S. We are so proud of this ranking which reflects our commitment to the employment of veterans. As so many veterans at DOE renew their service to our Nation, we are deeply committed to their success and advancement. Veterans shape the future of energy

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. Since you are being selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

As a Physical Scientist, you will:

• Analyze technical, schedule, cost, and resource information associated with research projects to identify risks, resolve execution challenges, and recommend actions that support successful project outcomes.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary research activities involving federal staff, contractors, and external partners to ensure project objectives, milestones, and resource requirements remain aligned with organizational priorities.
• Prepare and manage technical, financial, acquisition, and contract-management documentation, including statements of work, budgets, project plans, technical direction packages, and contractor performance assessments, to support research execution and COR responsibilities.
• Advise research leaders, project teams, and management officials on project planning, resource allocation, risk management, and execution strategies to support successful delivery of research objectives.
• Prepare and present project status briefings, analyses, reports, and executive-level communications to inform leadership decisions, communicate project performance, and support stakeholder engagement.
• Lead project coordination activities among researchers, contractors, business support organizations, and external stakeholders to resolve issues, manage dependencies, monitor performance, and ensure timely completion of project milestones and deliverables.

CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOE has the option to non-competitively convert a Recent Graduate to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to a permanent or term position you must:

• Be a US Citizen or National
• Be recommended for conversion by your manager or supervisor.
• Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period.
• Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service.
• Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted (which may include a positive education requirement). General Physical Science Series, 1301
• A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion.

Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM? For additional information regarding the Pathways Program, please refer to the following website: USAJOBS Help Center | Students & recent graduates

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Foreign National who meets both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.
• Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the entire duration of their excepted service appointment.
• Applicant must provide proof that they have obtained an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or a certificate from a qualifying educational institution with the previous 2 years.; OR
• Applicant must provide proof that they have completed a qualifying career or technical education program within the previous 2 years.
• Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply.
• This position is not remote, the selectee will be expected to report to the duty station(s) listed. If selected, military spouses, veteran caregivers, and spouses of foreign service employees may be eligible for applicable workplace flexibilities.
• This position is not included in a Bargaining Agreement.

Qualifications

**If you do not meet the definition of a Recent Graduate and would still like to apply under the Direct Hire Authority for the GS-11 or GS-12 you can apply under vacancy 13108738.**

You must meet the eligibility and qualifications within 2 months of the closing date of this announcement.

To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be a:

• Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized postsecondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps).

-OR-

• Student who within 2 months of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated.

-OR-

• Preference eligible veterans who were prevented from applying during the two-year period due to their military service obligation may begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation.

For the GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-9 includes:

• Conducting laboratory experiments, field tests, or site walks to collect physical data, monitor equipment, and analyze scientific/engineering metrics (such as design plans, environmental data, or lab samples).; AND
• Reviewing engineering or scientific technical documents, reports, and procedures under the guidance of senior staff to identify discrepancies, safety hazards, or compliance issues.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. Please see the information under Education.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON COMBINATION: If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of one year (18 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 18 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

For the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-11 includes:

• Participating in the planning, execution, and scheduling of engineering or physical science projects (such as chemistry, physics, or materials science) under the guidance of a project lead.; AND
• Tracking project milestones and coordinating updates on technical activities among stakeholders (such as academic institutions, lab teams, contractors, or project managers).

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate education must provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform in the position. Please see the information under Education.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON COMBINATION:If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of two years (36 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 36 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

Experience may include paid or unpaid work, including internships, volunteer service, student leadership, military service, apprenticeships, or other relevant activities. Resumes must clearly describe duties, dates, and hours worked per week.

Note about Graduate Education: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicants' resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g., special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabus and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Provide all relevant transcripts, not just your most recent one.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet Minimum Qualifications, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program, or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, your resume, supporting documentation, and questionnaire/assessment responses will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the USA Hire rating assessment(s) will be scored. You will be ranked in score order plus any Veterans' preference points. All candidates who rate among a set number of the highest-ranked eligibles.

Your application will be assessed based on your responses to an online assessment (USA Hire) that measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Applicants with a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act may request a reasonable accommodation (RA) for the USA Hire Assessments through the online application. RA requests and supporting documentation must be submitted before starting the assessments. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Eligible applicants will receive assessment instructions after their request is adjudicated. If the assessment link is issued after the announcement closes, all assessments must be completed within 48 hours. For more information, Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Teamwork

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13112631

Online Assessments
Applicants must complete the USA Hire Assessments, which measure key competencies required for the position. You must meet or exceed the minimum passing score to continue in the hiring process. Applicants who do not complete the assessment or do not achieve a passing score will not be considered.

Pathways Eligibility/Transcript Review
HR Specialists will review transcripts or a certificate of completion to determine eligibility for the Pathways Recent Graduates Program and verify any education used to qualify for the position. Applicants who meet eligibility and qualification requirements will advance to the next phase.

Resume Review
HR Specialists will review your resume to assess qualifications based on the required specialized experience. Only information included in the resume will be considered and any additional materials such as cover letters or embedded links will not be reviewed. Applicants who pass the resume review will advance to the next phase.