This position is located within the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) with 1 vacancy located in Charleston, SC. This position is also announced under vacancy number NOS NCCOS-23-12130746-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements to be considered for both.

Duties

As an Environmental Scientist, you will perform the following duties: Maintain animal culture systems to support animal health, growth, and propagation. Carry out research with responsibility for maintaining live marine organisms for potential use both as experimental specimens as well as supporting the rescue and recovery of marine species. Maintain aquaculture environments such as small tanks supporting localized field and collection operations and large recirculating culture systems requiring the design and custom fabrication of experimental fish and/or invertebrate life-support systems to meet critical management and experimental needs. Plan and execute scientific surveys and/or experiments in the field and laboratory. Serve as primary deckhand on research vessels, performing the functions as a vessel operator for small boat. Investigate the impacts of exposure/response to various physical, chemical, or biological stressors on the health condition of marine fish and invertebrates in their culture conditions. Provide support and assistance to a scientific research team. Provide technical support and task leadership for others working in the laboratory. Participate in the preparation of research proposals. Share research results through scientific reports, manuscripts, talks and poster presentations. *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. Conditions of employment (Position Specific): Position includes the requirement for weekend and night duty. This position requires the operation of a Federal motor vehicle. Position requires driving a government vehicle for field work, movement of equipment and/or supplies between buildings, acquisition of supplies, or meeting at other locations. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license to operate a government vehicle. Physical Requirements: This position has physical requirements. Position requires the ability to regularly lift heavy objects (up to 70 pounds), stand, bend and stoop for extended periods, and work with power tools. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of specialized experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements: 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 for the 0401 series: Education: A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Specialized experience: To qualify at the ZP-2 or GS-07 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-1 or GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: - Participating in scientific research of marine ecosystems or marine organisms; and - Providing assistance or support for research surveys or laboratory experiments. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: One year of graduate-level education. 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. 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: - Conducting scientific research of marine organisms or marine biology to evaluate animal health, growth, or propagation; - Planning or coordinating marine or aquaculture research surveys or laboratory experiments; and - Participating in evaluating the health conditions of marine fish or marine ecosystems. OR EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in a directly related field or Ph.D. in a directly related field or equivalent doctoral degree in a directly related field. OR COMBINATION: A combination of related graduate education and specialized experience as described above. Note: Only graduate education in excess of two years is qualifying for combination.

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: Antoinette Gartrell
• Email: [email protected]