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Interdisciplinary (Social Scientist/Biologist/Oceanographer)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Sterling, Virginia
Closing date
May 23, 2019
TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.


RELOCATION AUTHORIZED:
Relocation expenses reimbursed No


KEY REQUIREMENTS:
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  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  • You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  • Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

    Security Clearance Required: You will be required to obtain and maintain a Public Trust Background Investigation if you are selected and hired for this position.    

    Minimum Qualification Requirements:

    To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.  

    (1) Basic Educational Requirements:

    In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants MUST meet the Education Requirements described below:

    0101: Social Scientist:
    Applicants must meet A or B or C below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Social Scientist:

    A. Degree: behavioral or social science, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

    OR

    B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

    OR

    C. Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. 

    0401: Biologist:
    Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Biologist:

    A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

    OR

    B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

    1360: Oceanographer:
    Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Oceanographer:

    A. Degree: major 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

    B. Combination of education and experience: Course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Applicants who qualify on the basis of major study in biology or geology must have had at least 6 semester hours in the major directly concerned with marine science or 6 semester hours in oceanography; applicants who qualify on the basis of other physical sciences or engineering must have had differential and integral calculus and at least 6 semester hours in physics.

    NOTE: Applicants who qualify on the basis of major study in biology or geology must have had at least 6 semester hours in the major directly concerned with marine science or 6 semester hours in oceanography; applicants who qualify on the basis of other physical sciences or engineering must have had differential and integral calculus and at least 6 semester hours in physics.

    (2) Specialized Experience

    GS-11  (At the GS-11 grade level, you may substitute Education for Experience)
    To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.  Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 
    1) interpreting environmental laws, regulations or policies to support, or to refine environmental assessments;
    2) assessing the interrelationships of human activities and the environment; and,
    3) preparing or support preparing documents related to environmental or socio-cultural issues and delivering professional presentations related to those issues.

    OR

    Substitution of Appropriate Education For Experience:
    You may substitute education (education that is directly related) for experience at the GS-11 level if you have achieved: A Ph.D. or equivalent graduate degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.

    OR

    Substitution of an Appropriate Combination of Experience and Education:
    Only directly related education in excess of the first two years of progressively higher level graduate education toward a Ph.D. or the equivalent graduate degree may be used toward this combination.

    GS-12:  (At the GS-12 grade level, Education may NOT be substituted for Experience)
    To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.  Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
    1) interpreting environmental laws, regulations or policies to refine environmental assessments pertaining to the marine or coastal environments;
    2) assessing the interrelationships of human activities and the marine or coastal environments;
    3) recommending and supporting improvements to policy and procedures for environmental analysis or assessment;
    4) planning and managing environmental studies; and,
    5) preparing documents related to controversial or complex environmental or socio-cultural issues and delivering professional presentations related to those issues.

    Please Note: If you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you MUST submit a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts to verify that you meet the education. Failure to provide this information will result in your receiving an “INELIGIBLE” rating.

    Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

    All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

    Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.  

    Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. 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: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

    Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. 

    Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

    The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

    Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report.  In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior.  This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment.  DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity.  Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work.  All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

    NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

    A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office.

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    You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

    Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online assessment will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. You are being evaluated under the Category Rating method, which means, if you are determined to be qualified you will be placed in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are “Platinum”, “Gold”, and “Silver”.  However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the “Platinum” category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.  Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

    Your answers to the on-line assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

    1. Initiative – Considers and adapts to new information, and or anticipates and overcomes obstacles; works independently or with others to generate and evaluate ideas and different ways of accomplishing goals; learns adaptively from experience and mistakes;
    2. Gather and Analyze Data – Collects, objectively evaluates, and integrates information from various sources relevant to problem or issue; applies skill and critical thinking to interpret and apply relevant data and information;
    3. Scientific Knowledge – Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, policies, practices and methods related to social science, biology or oceanography; applies knowledge of environmental laws, regulations, and policies;
    4. Written Communication – Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience; expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information;
    5. Oral Communication – Presents in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience; expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information; and,
    6. Teamwork – Works cooperatively with others to accomplish objectives to build and maintain mutually-beneficial partnerships, leverage information, and achieve results. Fosters an environment that emphasizes knowledge sharing, shared vision, and group participation. 

    If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.


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    Read more Security clearance Other

    Drug test required No


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