This position is located in the National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Cost Survey (OCS), Navigation Services Division (NSD), with one vacancy in Gulfport, MS. This position is also announced under vacancy number NOS OCS-23-12070067-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Duties

As a Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties: Serve as the acting Hydrographer-in-Charge of a regionally based Navigation Response Team (NRT). Operational areas include the busiest ports and waterways, and may extend as far as 20 nautical miles offshore. Work conditions can be harsh at times due to weather and environmental conditions during emergency response activities. Serve as a technical advisor for the operation and maintenance of Uncrewed systems and mobile survey systems used aboard vessels of opportunity. Coordinate emergency response surveys and conduct detailed, complex analysis to resolve hydrographic discrepancies. Assist in the direction of daily operations of the team to ensure safety and efficiency. Interact with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Navigation Managers and local constituents to identify survey requirements and establish regional survey priorities. Communicate with Navigation Response Branch (NRB) Chief to ensure team's admin requirements are met and critical support for completing mission objectives is received. Coordinate with Federal, State, Local, and Tribal agencies and other constituents to ensure team activities meet requirements of maritime stakeholders, particularly during navigational emergencies. As Vessel Operations Coordinator (VOC), perform VOC functions as defined by the NOAA Small Boat Program. Serve as Small Boat Operator, as needed. Ensure vehicles and equipment, including the survey launch, are properly maintained in a survey ready state. Assist with transporting survey launch and equipment. Mentor and assist in the training of team members. Work with NRB Chief to ensure mission critical training is received. Promotes mission enhancing training opportunities for the team. Review all constituent products and deliverables, ensuring adherence to technical specifications and compliance with federal and agency policies for data stewardship. Implement agency best practices, evaluate operational efficiency, and seek process improvements to enhance overall team effectiveness. Ensure current standard operating procedures are accurately documented and develop standard operating procedures for new systems, methodologies, and processes. Participate in professional workshops and conferences, sharing information on activities and advancements in the field of hydrography. NOTE: These duties are described at the Full Performance Level of the ZP-3, the ZP-2 is developmental leading to such performance.

Requirements

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 has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: EDUCATION: Degree: Physical science engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. OR Combination of education and experience: Education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, 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 ZP-2 or GS-07 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-1 or GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Compiling information for or participating in the development of technical reports and papers related to subjects such as hydrographic surveying, sonars, positioning systems, or uncrewed or remotely manned systems, etc.; and Disseminating technical or scientific information about hydrographic surveying or related technologies to internal or external stakeholders. OR EDUCATION: One full year of graduate-level education. OR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: 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 one of the provisions 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 an experience: A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience. To qualify at the ZP-3 or 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 ZP-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Testing or evaluating technologies used for hydrographic surveying, such as sonars, positioning systems, or uncrewed or remotely manned systems; Contributing to the research and science for hydrographic surveying efforts; and Providing briefings to scientific personnel or participating in the development of technical reports for hydrographic survey projects or related technologies. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of related graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. NOTE: Only graduate education in excess of two years is qualifying for combination of education and 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.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

Contacts

• Address NOAA Office of Human Capital Services (OHCS) 1315 East West Hwy SSMC4 Silver Spring, MD 20910 US
• Name: Mark Delong
• Email: [email protected]