Physical Scientist

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

This position is located within the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), Analyze, Forest and Support Office (AFS), Forecast Services Division (FSD), with one location negotiable vacancy (See additional information section for locations and salaries).

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: in 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 above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

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-14:
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 (GS-13) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Identifying, documenting, and implementing service requirements, improvements, and quality control;
• Contributing to developing short- and long-range plans, including new approaches to problems; and
• Providing guidance and expertise in determining methodologies or techniques to improve tsunami detection.

Responsibilities:

As a Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties:

• Serve as the Tsunami Program Lead and the tsunami subject matter expert for the National Weather Service (NWS) Tsunami Program in the Marine, Tropical, and Tsunami Services Branch (MTTSB) within the NWS Analyze, Forecast, and Support Office (AFSO). Manage and provide leadership for the national Tsunami Services Program and is responsible for identifying, documenting, and implementing service requirements, improvements, and quality control. Develop plans, projects, and policies related to service improvement through implementation of new technologies and innovative approaches to enhance the service capacity of NWS tsunami detection and warning operations.

• Provide recommendations and comparative insights for new tools created both internal to NWS and externally within the tsunami enterprise, weather enterprise, academia, or other Federal agencies to verify the accuracy of the information being provided and validate needs against strategic goals. Provide leadership support and expertise in determining methodologies or techniques to improve tsunami detection and warning analyses, and reports findings to senior leadership.

• Work directly with the U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers (TWC), NWS Regions, International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program, Pacific Marine Environmental Lab (PMEL), National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), and any other appropriate units on issue related to national, regional and local policy, products, and services. Position requires exceptional coordination and integration of a number of very important and complex AFS programs, such as scientific analysis and decision support systems, interactive warning system operations, field requirements, and strategic planning.