LEAD PHYSICAL SCIENTIST

About the role

You will serve as a LEAD PHYSICAL SCIENTIST in the Operations Department (N3) of NAVAL ICE CENTER.

What you will do

• You will oversee the timely delivery of high-quality sea ice analysis and forecast products to a diverse customer base.
• You will serve as the Subject Matter Expert for glacial ice and icebergs, maintaining an in-depth understanding of glacial ice and iceberg formation, movement, deterioration, and their impact on maritime operations and environmental monitoring.
• You will ensure that the organization’s strategic plan, mission, vision and values are communicated to the team and integrated into the team’s strategies, goals, objectives, work plans and products and services.
• You will serve as coach, facilitator and/or negotiator in coordinating team initiatives and in consensus building activities among team members.
• You will resolve simple, informal complaints of employees and refer others, such as formal grievances and appeals, to the supervisor or an appropriate management official.
• You will independently design and execute rigorous evaluations of new sea ice products, focusing on the potential for automation to reduce manual analyst intervention.
• You will research, learn and apply a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to identify, assess, analyze and improve team effectiveness, efficiency and work products.
• You will prepare reports and maintain records of work accomplishments and administrative information, as required, and coordinate the preparation, presentation and communication of work-related information to the supervisor.
• You will deploy aboard ships or in the field (on land or mobile sea-ice) as an ice forecaster in support of USNIC customers on a rotational basis, operating with a high degree of autonomy and making authoritative recommendations on scene.
• You will develop and deliver specialized training and knowledge-sharing opportunities to fellow ice analysts, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development within the team.
• You will develop and disseminate educational material to explain the meaning of high, medium, and low confidence levels in the context of sea ice concentration, iceberg locations, and sea ice thickness, using complex, real-world examples.

Education

Basic Requirements: Applicants must meet the following positive education qualifications requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual: Applicants must possess 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.

How you will be evaluated

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position.

Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement.

You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL POLAR OPERATIONS CELL ANALYST/FORECASTER TRAINER WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ORAL COMMUNICATION This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: USA Hire and Structured Interview.

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Documents you must provide

• You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume.
• You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package.
• Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager.
• Cover letter is optional.
• A complete resume is required.
• Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages.
• Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered.
• Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments.
• Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.
• The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience.
• TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
• Are you applying for a promotion?
• For GS positions, to be considered for a promotion, you must provide SF-50(s) that shows you have held the next lower GS grade for at least one year.
• SF-50s that have an effective date within the past year (e.g., General Adjustment SF-50 from this year or Within Rate/Grade Increases (WRI/WGI) SF-50 within a year) do not clearly show that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement.
• That means if you submit an SF-50 dated within the last year, you must submit another SF-50 dated more than one year ago to clearly demonstrate you meet the time-in-grade requirements.
• If you are a DoD employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF- 50(s) from MyBiz.
• Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials?
• Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required.
• If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package.
• Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement?
• Is there a basic education requirement for this position?
• Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required.
• Any claims you make in your resume regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school.
• While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position.
• You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified.
• Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference?
• You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service.
• If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service.
• If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too.
• If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference?
• If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference.
• You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). ***
• Are you an active duty service member?
• Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command.
• The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
• Application documents, including supplemental ones, may be shared outside the Human Resources Office.
• Supplemental documents may contain your SSN, DOB, or personal information of others (e.g., on military orders, marriage certificates).
• You may redact this information before submitting; however, if selected, you must provide unredacted originals.

What to expect next

When the application process is complete, your complete application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements for which you requested consideration.

You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire and USA Hire Assessment, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments system. These additional online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.

Generally, only best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Sometimes well qualified and minimally qualified candidates are referred. Occasionally, candidates eligible for priority consideration are referred, and no other candidates are referred.

The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. You will be notified of our rating and referral decision. If you are referred, you will be notified when a hiring decision is made.

NOTE: If you have any questions or need assistance, please email the DON Employment Information Center at ***

Additional information

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement. 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.

During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area.

Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary.

Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes.

Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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: *** ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher.

ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate.

For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: *** PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined Well Qualified (WQ).

To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation. Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ).

A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.