Duties

Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
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Responsibilities

For each major stage of offshore energy and mineral planning and development, BOEM conducts reviews under a suite of environmental laws ( e.g. , National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)). These reviews and related public engagement help inform the Bureau's decisions on conventional and renewable energy exploration, leasing and development activities, as well as marine mineral activities for coastal restoration projects. Additionally, BOEM's scientists oversee environmental studies to ensure the best available information is used to inform decision- making.

To comply with these environmental laws, BOEM must assess the potential impacts of human-made noise (created by a number of BOEM activities) on marine species in the OCS. In order to better understand and analyze the impacts of these anthropogenic noises, BOEM is establishing an in-house, state-of -the-art Center for Marine Acoustics (CMA), which will include capabilities for developing and running underwater acoustic models. The goal of the CMA is to support all noise-related aspects of BOEM's environmental analyses, including routine NEPA documents, MMPA and ESA consultations, internal BOEM technical reports, and prioritization of scientific studies.

The incumbent serves as an Acoustic Modeler in the Office of Environmental Programs (OEP) or Office of Renewable Energy Programs.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

1. Acquires and implements a suite of underwater acoustic propagation models, dedicated marine mammal movement models and supporting software and databases capable of modeling potential acoustic impacts or other important acoustic analyses for all underwater acoustic sources regulated by BOEM. Develops supporting software to link existing models and maintain results of modeling efforts.

2. Uses expertise in scientific discipline and analytical techniques to author or review technical documents related to acoustic modeling or perform specialized analyses on impacts of human-made noise on marine species.

3. Prepares, or assists in preparing documents, Departmental and Bureau correspondence, and briefing materials concerning acoustic issues, including those related to decisions, public or stakeholder inquiries, and or congressional requests. Presents to Bureau and Departmental leadership.

4. Recommends field, laboratory, modeling, and/or synthesis studies necessary to adequately assess the environmental impacts from OCS activities.

5. Coordinates procurement of environmental studies and manages contractual agreements as Contracting Officer Representative. Prepares and reviews statements of work, procurement packages (including government cost-estimates) and evaluates proposals for technical adequacy, programmatic consistency, and cost-effectiveness.

6. Forms and maintains constructive working relationships with other Regional/Program Offices and Interior bureaus. Liaisons with other stakeholders on issues concerning BOEM decision-making, rulemaking, and other aspects of OCS activities dealing with environmental issues and assessment.

7. Represents the findings of BOEM's environmental analysis and research to the public, key stakeholders, and other experts at meetings.

Salary Range Information:
GS-11: $72,030 - $93,638 Per annum.
GS-12: $86,335 - $112,240 Per annum.
GS-13: $102,663 - $133,465 Per annum.

*First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• 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/.
• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series/grade 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:

General Engineer- 801:
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

-OR-

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern
(EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Physical Scientist 1301: Degree: 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 in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

(2) Specialized Experience

GS-11 Specialized Experience:
To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have at least one FULL year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level. 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 position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience running established underwater acoustic models AND experience in at least one of the following: (1) using computer coding language like Matlab, python, R, C++ or similar; (2) writing own code to process complex data sets; (3) integrating and interpreting model outputs to address targeted technical scenarios and presenting results in written or oral formats; or (4) using applied statistical analysis or coursework demonstrating knowledge in applied statistical analysis.

-OR-

Education: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

-OR-

Combination of education and experience: Possess a combination of post high school education and experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.

GS-12 Specialized Experience: (Please note, education cannot be substituted at the GS-12 Grade level and higher)

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, you must have at least one FULL year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. 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 position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience running, modifying and creating underwater acoustic models AND experience in at least ONE of the following: (1) using computer coding language like Matlab, python, R, C++ or similar; (2) writing own code to process complex data sets; (3) integrating and interpreting model outputs to address targeted technical scenarios and presenting results in written or oral formats; or (4) using applied statistical analysis.

GS-13 Specialized Experience: (Please note, education cannot be substituted at the GS-12 Grade level and higher)

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must have at least one FULL year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. 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 position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience running, modifying and creating underwater acoustic models AND experience in at least TWO of the following: (1) using computer coding language like Matlab, python, R, C++ or similar; (2) writing own code to process complex data sets; (3) integrating and interpreting model outputs to address targeted technical scenarios and presenting results in written or oral formats; or (4) using applied statistical analysis.

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

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

Additional information

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

Modeling and Simulation - Knowledge of the tools and techniques used to develop functional, physical, or prototype underwater acoustic models and simulations for test and evaluation programs, the prediction of behavior and phenomena, and to visually communicate concepts. Teamwork - Works well with and helps others achieve mutual objectives; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others and fosters accountability to accomplish goals. Technical Competence - Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise (for example, engineering, physical science, law, or accounting); maintains credibility with others on technical matters. Written Communication - Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a succinct and organized manner.

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.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10938624

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness , National security

Required Documents

Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/How_to_create_your_resume

Your application package must include: (1) Resume showing relevant experience as written in your own words; (2) Completed online Assessment Questionnaire; (3) College transcript (if applicable) for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; (4) Certificates, license, etc. (if applicable); (5) Form DD-214 OR VA letter and Standard Form 15.

You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance OR http://www.boem.gov/USAJobs-Assistance/ .

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.