Duties

• You will serve as a COMPUTER SCIENTIST in the Precise Time Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory.
• You will develop integrated computer systems for automated clock control, and create, test, and document higher-level UNIX/Linux scripts and other operating system commands.
• You will create, test, and document computer programs using C and/or other programming codes.
• You will advise on computer equipment acquisitions, coordinate and oversee its installation, and conduct computer equipment acceptance tests.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
• New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Per the preliminary nationwide injunction on E.O. 14043, COVID-19 vaccinations will not be implemented or enforced. For more information on vaccine status and workplace safety protocol requirements see Additional Information below.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final Top Secret security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• This position is designated as a Cyber IT/Cybersecurity Workforce position. You must obtain and maintain the credentials as described in SECNAV M-5239.2 for specialty area 621-Sortware Developer within 12 months of appointment.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana) is required. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if you fail to report to the drug test appointment or fail the test. You will be subject to random testing.
• You will be required to complete ethics orientation within three months of appointment and submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, within 30 days of appointment.

Qualifications

For GS-09: In addition to the Basic Requirement (see Education), your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience utilizing practical knowledge of various computer systems and cyber security best practices and applying advanced monitoring and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience assisting with code development and maintenance of computer systems, including software, control, and interface to timing instrumentation.
• Experience presenting to various audiences and efficiently communicating orally and in writing.

For GS-07: In addition to the Basic Requirement (see Education), your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience utilizing practical knowledge of a variety of hardware and software systems, and applying basic programming, basic monitoring and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience assisting with maintenance of computer systems, including software, control, and interface to timing instrumentation.
• Experience presenting to various audiences and efficiently communicating orally and in writing.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1500/computer-science-series-1550/

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

Basic Requirements:
Successful completion of a bachelor's degree in computer science
OR
Successful completion of a bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus.

All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. Applicants should have sufficient knowledge to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies, to problems of system design, and to other specialized fields are acceptable. Courses or experience in teaching elementary, business, or shop mathematics are not acceptable.

In leu of specialized experience, applicants may substitute the following levels of education:
GS-07: 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.
GS-09: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

Additional information

COVID VACCINATION INFORMATION: To comply with the recent preliminary nationwide injunction on Executive Order 14043, Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees, the Department of the Navy is not taking any action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. New hires will need to provide their vaccination status as well as comply with workplace safety protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Several vacancies may be filled.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf .

Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this specific hiring authority. However, if you claim veteran's preference, you will be required to submit supporting documentation with your application as described in the Required Documents section below.

This position is eligible for part time, substantial or ad-hoc telework at the discretion of management.

If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.