Job opening: Meteorologist
Salary: $44 705 - 127 698 per year
Published at: Jun 12 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), Alaska Region (AR), Weather Forecast Office (WFO), with one vacancy in Anchorage, AK.
This position is also announced under vacancy number NWS AR-24-12438299-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.
Duties
The working title for this position is Meteorologist. As a Meteorologist you will perform the following duties:
Integrate forecast weather, water, and climate hazards with associated societal risks to produce and communicate lifesaving impact-based warnings, advisories, outlooks and general forecasts, ensuring that all information provided is as accurate, precise, and timely as scientifically possible.
Develop, produce and deliver interpretive services in the form of Impact Based Decision Support Services (IDSS) that include tailored products, specialized notifications, remote briefings, and/or on-site deployments to a set of core partners that share a role in public safety and protection of property. Provide information on scientific and technological developments, and deliver science-based and technology-based solutions to operational challenges.
Collect, assess, analyze, and integrate a complete set of meteorological, hydrological, and climatic data in order to provide forecasts of critical elements at global, synoptic, and increasingly finer mesoscale levels.
Collaborate and co-create with colleagues while leveraging the talents of others to improve and optimize the day to-day operational functions of Weather Forecast Offices (WFO).
*These duties are described at the GS12; the GS-05, GS-07, GS-09, GS-11 are developmental leading to such performance. All positions are developmental to the FPL GS-12
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 in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:
EDUCATION:
A. Degree: meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included:
a. At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of:
i. Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics*;
ii. Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale);*
iii. Three semester hours of physical meteorology;* and;
iv. Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.
b. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.
c. Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.
d. 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 A 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-05 level:
Applicants that meet the Basic Education Requirement qualify at the GS-05 level.
To qualify at the GS-07 level:
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
Using hydro-meteorological data to monitor current conditions and provide assistance in forecast preparation for weather, water or climate hazards.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: One full year of graduate-level education in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science or in a directly related field.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement as demonstrated by a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with one of the following. It is your responsibility to ensure your application clearly states how you meet one of the provisions below:
A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 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: A combination of related graduate-level education and specialized experience.
To qualify at the GS-09 level:
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
Using hydro-meteorological data to monitor a geographic area and assist in the preparation and issuance of warnings, advisories, outlooks or general forecasts for weather, water, or climate hazards.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science or in a directly related field or 2 years of progressively higher graduate level education leading to such a degree.
OR
COMBINATION: A combination of education and experience as described above. Only graduate education in excess of one year is qualifying for combination.
To qualify at the GS-11 level:
Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
Assess the current and forecast weather situations;
Provide assistance with a weather watch using state-of-the-art meteorological, hydrologic, and climatic data;
Prepare warnings, advisories, outlooks and general forecast weather, water, and climate hazards for review; and
Support interpretive services, such as decision support services, to partners.
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, if related.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Education and experience may be combined. Only education in excess of two years is qualifying at this level.
To qualify at the GS-12 level:
Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
Analyze and assess the current forecast weather situation and weather trends;
Conduct a weather watch using state of the art meteorological, hydrologic, and climatic data;
Devise and formulate warnings, advisories, outlooks and general forecasts for weather, water and climate hazards; and
Develop and deliver interpretive services, such as decision support services, to partners.
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]
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