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PHYSICIST

Department of the Air Force
Air Force Civilian Career Training
Air Force Personnel Center, Talent Readiness

Summary

Force Renewal Programs are designed to attract students & recent graduates with management/leadership potential to careers as Federal employees with the Air Force Civilian Service. This is accomplished by recruiting & selecting high-caliber candidates & training them to become competent, effective, & productive employees in a variety of career fields; providing training & developmental opportunities, & preparing them to successfully complete required training & developmental assignments.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
09/29/2025 to 09/28/2026
Salary
$49,960 to - $99,314 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Locations
FEW vacancies in the following locations:
Clear AFB, AK
Eielson AFB, AK
Elmendorf AFB, AK
Little Rock AFB, AR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
K-26-DHA-12807275-MDL
Control number
846774500

Duties

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*This is a formal AF intern position in the Recent Palace Acquire Program (PAQ) and, as such, it is centrally funded by HQ AFPC/DPZS.

GS-07:

  1. Performs work as a physicist in support of conventional projects assigned to higher level scientists.
  2. Performs work as a physicist of limited scope and complexity in support of projects assigned to higher grade scientists. Plans work procedures and selects standard practices and data to be applied to work projects and identified problems.
  3. Researches scientific information through a variety of data sources and scientific disciplines.
  4. Carries out special assignments designed to facilitate the full use of and enhance the intern's training and development.
GS-09:
  1. Plans and conducts own work procedures to be applied in support of projects assigned to higher grade physicists.
  2. Performs scientific assignments consisting of a series of interrelated tasks or problems screened by a higher grade physicist.
  3. Assists higher grade physicists in finding solutions for problems requiring a variety of data sources and scientific disciplines.
  4. Develops written summaries to be used by higher level physicists, contractors, and/or customers. Presents briefings or presentations as required.
  5. Keeps abreast of emerging techniques and professional developments to remain current in the scientific field for application to work assignment

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Some position under this announcement may require either a secret, top secret, or special sensitive clearance.
  • Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
  • Total salary varies depending on location of position
  • PCS expenses if authorized will be paid IAW JTR and Air Force Regulations
  • Recruitment incentives may be authorized
  • This posn is subject to provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program
  • Position may be subject to random drug testing
  • Employee must maintain current certifications
  • Disclosure of Political Appointments
  • Grade Point Average-2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0
  • You will be required to serve a one year probationary period

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS for GS-7 and GS-9:
Degree: Physics; or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics.

You may qualify if you meet one of the following:

1. GS-7: You must have completed or will complete a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's from an accredited institution AND must have documented Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the undergraduate level in the following:
a) Grade Point Average 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; OR 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum.

2. GS-9: You must have completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree:
a) Grade Point Average - 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; OR 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum. If more than 10 percent of total undergraduate credit hours are non-graded, i.e. pass/fail, CLEP, CCAF, DANTES, military credit, etc. you cannot qualify based on GPA.
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. Professional knowledge of physical laws, policies, theories, principles and concepts and familiarity with other scientific and engineering disciplines.
2. Ability to analyze, interpret and apply physical laws and procedures in a variety of situations and recommend effective solutions to senior physicists.
3. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
4. Knowledge of computer operations and standard software applications.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Please submit copies of all Transcripts to include Transferred hours - Official copies are not required at time of application. If selected, you will be required to provide official copies of all Transcripts.

***NOTE***Degree Audits are not accepted.

If you qualify based on undergraduate education and you have not graduated prior to applying to this position. You may be offered a position contingent upon your final grade point average or class ranking.

IF USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Additional information

For DHA Positions:These positions are being filled under Direct-Hire Authority for the Department of Defense for Post-Secondary Students and Recent Graduates. The Secretary of the Air Force has delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to directly appoint qualified post-secondary students and recent graduates directly into competitive service positions; these positions may be professional or administrative occupations and are located Air Force-Wide.

Positions may be filled as permanent or term with a full-time or part-time work schedule.

Pay will vary by geographic location.

*** The term "Current post-secondary student" means a person who is currently enrolled in, and in good academic standing at a full-time program at an institution of higher education; and is making satisfactory progress toward receipt of a baccalaureate or graduate degree; and has completed at least one year of the program.
*** The term "recent graduate" means a person who was awarded a degree by an institution of higher education not more than two years before the date of the appointment of such person, except in the case of a person who has completed a period of obligated service in a uniform service of more than four years.

Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information, click here.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information.

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.

For DHA Positions:
These positions are being filled under Direct-Hire Authority for the DoD for Post-Secondary Students and Recent Graduates. The Secretary of the Air Force has delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to directly appoint qualified students and recent graduates directly into competitive service positions; positions may be professional or administrative occupations and located Air Force-Wide. Positions may be filled as permanent/term with a full-time/part-time work schedule. Pay will vary by geographic location.

*** The term "Current post-secondary student" means a person who is currently enrolled and in good academic standing at a full-time program at an institution of higher education; and is progressing toward a baccalaureate or graduate degree; and has completed at least 1 year of the program.

*** The term "recent graduate" means a person awarded a degree by an institution of higher education not more than 2 years before the date of the appointment of such person, except in the case of a person who has completed a period of obligated service in a uniform service of more than 4 years.

Your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications.

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

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