Job Title:  Research Oceanographer
Department:  Department Of Commerce
Agency:  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Job Announcement Number:  PH-PA-16-1591376

SALARY RANGE:

$63,344.00 to $98,702.00 / Per Year

OPEN PERIOD:

Monday, February 29, 2016 to Friday, March 11, 2016

SERIES & GRADE:

ZP-1360-03

POSITION INFORMATION:

Full Time – Permanent

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:

04

DUTY LOCATIONS:

1 vacancy in the following location:
Seattle, WA View Map

WHO MAY APPLY:

US Citizens and Status Candidates

SECURITY CLEARANCE:

Public Trust – Background Investigation

SUPERVISORY STATUS:

No

JOB SUMMARY:

Science, Service, and Stewardship

This position is located in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), Environmental & Fisheries Sciences Division, Marine Microbes & Toxins Program in Seattle, Washington.  The program conducts research to understand the ecosystem dynamics, ecology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, and toxicology of marine microbes and their toxins.

 

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for the management, conservation and protection of living marine resources within the United States. NOAA Fisheries also plays a supportive and advisory role in the management of living marine resources in coastal areas under state jurisdiction provides scientific and policy leadership in the international arena and implements international conservation and management measures as appropriate.

 

Who May Apply:  U.S. Citizens and Nationals, and  merit promotion candidates.

You are eligible under merit promotion procedures, if you meet one of the following criteria:

  • Federal employees with career or career-conditional appointments in the competitive service.
  • Federal employees with career or career-conditional appointment in the excepted service and under an Interchange Agreement.
  • Former Federal status employees with reinstatement eligibility based on previous Federal service.
  • Displaced Federal employees requesting special priority selection consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).
  • Veterans eligible for the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA), who are preference eligible or who have been separated under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous service.
  • Veterans eligible for a non-competitive appointment under the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) Authority, who are preference eligible or recently separated from the military.  Applies to grades GS-11 and below.
  • Individuals with disabilities under Schedule A hiring authority – Refer to “Other Information” section for eligibility details.
  • Applicants entitled to non-competitive appointment authorities or special hiring authorities, e.g., Peace Corps; Americorps VISTA, Boren Fellows; military spouse preference; and applicants who previously held, or currently hold, this grade with the same promotion potential GS-14 or higher (SF-50(s) must show proof of this), etc.

Additional vacancies may be filled through this vacancy announcement if they become available.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

  • Occasional Travel
  • Approximately 5% travel required

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED

  • No

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for selective service.
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply section).
  • Required to pass background investigation and fingerprint check
  • A three year probationary/trial period may be required.

DUTIES:

Back to top

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

–  Developing and applying technologies, including robotic platforms, to improve monitoring for harmful microalgae and other microorganisms.
–  Conducting biological oceanographic studies focused on spatio-temporal distributions of harmful marine microalgae in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
–  Applying, refining, and synthesizing mathematical models of microorganism dynamics for sustainable aquaculture and seafood safety.
–  Conducting laboratory studies of harmful marine microalgae of the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

 

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Back to top

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet the Basic Requirement by one of the following:

  1. possess a Bachelor’s or higher degree with a major field of study of at least 24 semester hours in oceanography or a related discipline such as physics, meteorology, geophysics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, geology, or biology, plus 20 additional semester hours in any combination of oceanography, physics, geophysics, chemistry, mathematics, meteorology, computer science, and engineering sciences.  OR
  2. Possess a combination of education and experience. This includes course work as shown (in A) above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Applicants must provide copy of their college transcript as proof of meeting the Basic Requirement.  Failure to provide a copy of your transcript(s) will result in non-consideration for this position.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications requirement by one of the following:

  1. Possess a minimum of one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the ZP-2 or GS-9 level in the Federal service. Experience included designing and implementing both field and laboratory studies of microalgae. Studies were defined in scope, had readily identifiable objectives, and applied existing theory and methods. Experience also included preparing, maintaining, deploying, and managing information from oceanographic equipment capable of near real-time biological monitoring for microorganisms. Successful job performance required experience in mathematical modeling, including skill with appropriate software (e.g., Matlab).  OR
  2. Possess two years of graduate education leading to a Master’s or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the work of the position in biological oceanography, phytoplankton and dinoflagellate ecology, or another closely related field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position.  OR
  3. Possess a combination of specialized experience, as described in A above, and graduate education, as described in B above, that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement.
    If qualifying by education, applicants must provide copy of their college transcript as proof of meeting the Minimum Education requirement.  Failure to provide a copy of your transcript(s) will result in non-consideration for this position. 

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.

 

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on the closing date of the announcement. 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Translated transcripts are required.

Only education/experience obtained by 11:59 p.m. EST on the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Current and former career and career-conditional Federal employees must meet the time-in-grade/band requirement of 52 weeks at the next lower grade.  Applicants must meet all the eligibility requirements (e.g.,time-in-grade and qualification requirements) by the closing date of the announcement.

Current career and career-conditional Federal employees must submit a copy of their most recent SF-50, which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in the next lower grade level. (NOTE: Federal employee applicants must submit SF-50s, which demonstrate how they meet all announcement requirements.  Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, with-in grade/range increases, and SF-50s one or more years old.)

You may be required to serve a probationary period of up to three years.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job.

Applicants applying under Delegated Examining (all U.S. citizens) procedures will be rated under NOAA’s Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your score may be lowered and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Gold, Silver, or Bronze.  Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.  Candidates placed in the “gold” category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager for further review and consideration.

Applicants applying under merit promotion procedures  will be rated in accordance with the Merit Staffing plan of NOAA. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be rated based on the following knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) or competencies:

–  Oceanic Equipment

–  Data Analysis

–  Communication

–  Mathematical Modeling

–  Microbial Knowledge

In order to be rated as meeting the minimum qualifications, we must be able to determine from your application package that you have the education and/or specialized or general experience that is required. Applicants who have qualifying experience performed on less than a full-time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

BENEFITS:

Back to top

NOAA offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees http://www.usa.gov/Federal-Employees/Benefits.shtml.

OTHER INFORMATION:

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans’ preference, you must also submit an SF-15, “Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference” plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans’ preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. (you must submit a DD214-member copy 4).

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/ ).

This vacancy may be used to fill other Research Oceanographer, ZP-1360-03 positions throughout NOAA. The position must be alike (e.g.: within the same geographic locations, same grade/band requires the same qualifications as indicated in this vacancy announcement)

Career Transition Assistance Programs (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A

* NOTE: The supporting documentation for Schedule A eligibility obtained from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office must state that the applicant’s disabilities meet Schedule A eligibility requirements under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans

Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses 

Other Special Appointment Authorities

HOW TO APPLY:

Back to top

You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, March 11, 2016.

* To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

* Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.

* It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

* To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.  Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

* To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement.  You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package by the closing date of this announcement, which includes:

  1. Your Résumé showing relevant experience; cover letter optional
  2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire
  3. Transcripts (include your name, college name/address, type of degree, major, date degree conferred, courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, G.P.A. etc.), if qualifying based on education
  4. Optional Documents
  • Performance Appraisal – most recent performance appraisal (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan that does not include this information.
  • Awards – Copies of any award received within the last 3 years.
  1. Other supporting documents (submit if applicable to you):
  • CTAP/ICTAP documents
  • Veterans’ documentation (DD-214 (Member 4 copy), dated VA Letter, SF-15)
  • SF-50, “Notification of Personnel Action,” supporting your eligibility: If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must submit a copy of their SF-50 which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, grade, and salary. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form, which shows the length of time you have been in the next lower grade level. (Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within grade/range increases, and SF-50s one or more years old.)
  • Non-Competitive or Special Hiring Authority documentation

Note: Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, employment information such as: Employer name and location; From and to dates (or from date to present for current position), which include the month and year for each description of experience, with grade level held, if applicable, education, training etc. Your description of experience and education must be able to support any claim for qualifying for this position.

 

Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.

 

If you completed the occupational questionnaire online and are unable to upload supporting document(s):

  1. To fax your documents, you must use the following cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and provide the required information. The Vacancy ID is 1591376.
  2. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144. If you cannot complete the Application Package online, you may fax all of your materials. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, March 11, 2016 to receive consideration. Keep a copy of your fax confirmation in the event verification is needed.

 

To complete the occupational questionnaire and submit via fax:

  1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire
  2. Print the 1203FX form, follow the instructions and provide your responses to the occupational questionnaire itemshttp://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf
  3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Philadelphia Services Branch
Phone: (215)861-3074
Email: PHILADELPHIA.MAIL@OPM.GOV

Agency Information:
Philadelphia Services Branch
US Office of Personnel Management
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA
19106
USA

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview. You will receive notice via email once this process is completed (generally 4-6 weeks).

You will be notified of your application status at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You may check your application status by accessing the USAJOBS website and clicking “Application Status”.

The amount of notices that each applicant receives may vary.  The four points of notification are:

  •  Application Received or Application Incomplete
  •  Minimum Qualification Requirement Met/Not Met
  •  Eligible (Application Referred) or Eligible (Application Not referred)
  •  Selected or Not Selected