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Marine Surveyor

Department of Transportation
Maritime Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The position serves as a field level subject matter expert on the maintenance, repair, and operations of the National Defense Reserve Force (NDRF) and Public Nautical School Ship Program (PNSP) Ships. This position is located in the Maritime Administration (MARAD) Division of Atlantic Operations (DAO).

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/10/2025 to 07/21/2025
Salary
$75,038 to - $139,036 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Norfolk, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for situational telework. Telework approval will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel required to and from office locations and field sites.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MARAD.DAO-2025-0005
Control number
840365400

Duties

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As a Marine Surveyor, you will:

  • Participate in and conduct inspections and surveys to determine the readiness of assigned ship(s), shipboard equipment, and systems, and ensure completed repairs comply with applicable regulatory standards for U.S. Flag ships.
  • Serve as the primary Area Division technical and programmatic contact with Ship Managers or General Agents to provide guidance and make recommendations for programmatic-level allocation of resource related the maintenance, repairs, and operations of assigned ships.
  • Organize work, set priorities, and determine resource requirements; determine short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinate with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitor progress and evaluates outcomes.
  • Serve as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Assistant Contracting Officer’s Representative (ACOR), for Ship Managers Contracts and General Agency Agreements (AA’s) in accordance with the terms and conditions delegated by the Point of Contact to Authorized Contracting Officer (PCO/ACO) in a Letter of Assignment.

The ideal candidate is a mid-level individual with experience in the management of ship operations, repair, conversion, and industrial projects for assigned ship and/or projects.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: Applicants must be required to obtain and retain a Secret Security Clearance.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be required to complete a background/security investigation and meet preliminary requirements prior to onboarding.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • DRUG TESTING: Varies by position. Tentatively selected candidates are required to undergo urinalysis in accordance with DOT 3910.1D entitled "Drug and Alcohol-Free Departmental Workplace", which includes testing for marijuana. Marijuana is legal in some states, however it’s still illegal at the federal level. Therefore, if selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT:  Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection and a service agreement may be required.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

The Marine Survey Technical Series, 0873, covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving surveying Government-owned and/or operated vessels, or privately-owned and operated merchant vessels, to determine their condition and the extent of work necessary for the vessels and their components to meet specified requirements. The work requires applying a practical knowledge of:

  • Preparing specifications, including estimates of labor and material costs, to cover work determined to be necessary as a result of surveys; and
  • Inspecting and accepting the work accomplished to place the vessel in the condition specified.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, applicants must have had 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression. Specialized experience is responsible work in the maintenance and repair of ocean-going vessels that demonstrated the ability to survey and inspect such vessels for the purposes of classification, appraisal, determination of general conditions and fitness for operation, and determination of the extent of damage sustained and type and cost of repairs and reconditioning required.

For this position, the following specialized experience is required for each grade level.  Please review to determine which grade you are eligible to apply to.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include:

  • Experience assisting with conducting surveys on machinery, refrigeration, electrical equipment, hull equipment, and preservation of assigned ships to assess their condition and identify necessary repairs to meet regulatory standards.
  • Experience gathering information for overhaul or repair specifications, based on regulatory requirements, to support identifying required quality and quantity of materials and estimated man hours.
  • Experience in preparing status reports and findings of ship repair and maintenance.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:
3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience inspecting ships undergoing repairs and other work involving commercial shipyard or marine repair facilities, ensuring compliance with specifications.
  • Experience with preparing dry dock schedules, cyclic maintenance requirements, and other marine maintenance planning.
  • Experience assisting with personnel matters related to marine maintenance, such as operations, maintenance, and supply.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience.

To qualify for the GS-13 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

  • Experience maintaining and repairing ocean-going vessels, surveying, and inspecting such vessels for the purpose of classification appraisal, determinations of general conditions, and fitness for operations.
  • Experience in commercial marine surveying, shipboard engineering officer services, or shipyard management such as providing guidance on maintenance and repair functions, policy and procedures, compliance with regulatory requirements, instructions, and standards governing the conduct of conditions surveys, inspections, dry dockings, doc trials, and sea trials.
  • Experience in advising on operational, maintenance and supply personnel matters relating to marine maintenance problems.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-13 level; you must have experience.


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
  2. Manage and Organize Information - Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods.


For all types of consideration, 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

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

How you will be evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top-rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top-rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position must indicate interest in the assessment. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


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