This position is located in the National Weather Service (NWS), Western Region (WR),Weather Forecast Office (WFO) with one vacancy located in Spokane, WA. This position is also announced under vacancy number NWS WR CA-24-12425093-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Duties

As a Lead Meteorologist, you will perform the following duties: Serve as the shift leader responsible for quality and timeliness of all NWS forecast and service products, warnings, and advisories prepared and issued by the Weather Forecast Office (WFO). Conduct a weather watch which involves interpretation of Doppler radar data, satellite imagery, and the analysis of other hydrometeorological data for the preparation of all WFO warning, forecast and service products, including individual briefings. Serve as the primary contact with other Federal, state, and local agencies such as FAA, FEMA, and emergency management and law enforcement officials over matters involving the initiation and implementation of immediate or emergency public health and safety measures based on NWS forecasts, warnings and watches. Handle general office administrative matters which may occur on shift including augmenting staff, approving overtime and leave. WORK ENVIRONMENT: Rotating shift work is required with the WFO and/or National Center in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During periods of threatening weather or rapidly changing weather conditions, the increase in workload and the necessity for rapid dissemination of weather warnings and updates requires periods of acute mental ness and produces considerable mental stress. Adverse weather conditions often require the incumbent to work hours longer than the usual shift, adding to mental and physical stress. Incumbent must maintain sharp mental focus during highly stressful events. Incumbent will be required to maintain weather watch at office when general public is evacuating the area.

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 in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: A. Degree in meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included: At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;* Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale); Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.* Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.* At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science. * There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major. OR B. Combination of education and experience: -- course work as shown in the coursework information statement above, 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 GS-13: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Analyzing and assessing the current and forecast weather situation at both the synoptic and mesoscale levels; Devising, formulating and disseminating hydrometeorological forecasts, watches, warnings and advisories; Using dual polarization radar to issue forecasts and warnings; and, Providing briefings to government or other decision makers on hazardous weather or water events.

Education

Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation

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.

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.

Contacts

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