Supervisory Physical Scientist

About the role

This position is with Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Technical Support, Analytical and Laboratory Service Division. MSHA works to prevent death, illness and injury from mining; promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners.

MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

What you will do

• Technical authority for MSHA on the weighing and evaluation of dust concentrations encountered in coal and metal/nonmetal mining.
• Develops new procedures related to the efficient and economic processing of respirable dust samples.
• Develops, institutes, and maintains laboratory quality control procedures necessary to ensure the quality of sample weighing and that cassette manufacturers are maintaining the required specifications.
• Provides expert consultation and advisory services to mine operators, Office of the Chief Information Officer, and the various MSHA Enforcement District Offices and field offices as well as to other government agencies.
• Develops procedures and provides expert advice to MSHA Headquarters for the safe shipment and analysis of repirable dust samples collected by MSHA Enforcement personnel.
• Serves as an expert witness in hearings and criminal court proceedings on procedures developed, tested, and instituted for the processing of min operator respirable dust samples.
• Resolves complex unprecedented and novel problems related to technical problems in the respriable dust sampling and analysis program.
• Modifies state-of the-art robotic systems to permit the accurate weighing of samples having, in some cases, less than 10 micorgrams of mass.
• Conducts extensive statistical analyses of respirable dust data to provide information needed to prepare reports.
• Prepares technical reports based on findings.
• Based on the results of studies, prepares, or modifies standard operating procedures for the processing of coal mine dust samples.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

How you will be evaluated

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: *** SME Resume Panel Review Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process.

For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies: Chemistry Interpersonal Skills Oral Communication Problem Solving Written Communication The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled.

Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme.

Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Documents you must provide

• The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.
• ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of time-in-grade (52 weeks at the next lower grade), time-after-competitive-appointment (90 days), and minimum qualifications (52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade in federal service).
• These requirements must be met within 30 days of 11/23/2026 the announcement closing date.
• The following documents are required from all applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): AGENCY EMPLOYEES: Please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying.
• Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, Grade/Pay Band, and career status.
• Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility. *WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status.
• For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.
• Resumes are required- provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile.
• To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for experience listed on your resume.
• We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
• Most recent performance appraisal/evaluation signed and dated within 18 months is requested by the agency, but will not disqualify candidates if not submitted.
• If not submitted during the application process, one may/will be requested at the time of the interview if the opportunity is extended. *In most cases, CTAP applicants must submit this document - see the CTAP link below for more details.
• The following documents are required (if applicable): Displaced Employee Placement Documents: Only required if requesting priority consideration under Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Eligibility.
• Click/Review this CTAP link to confirm what must be submitted as proof that the requirement has been met.
• Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English): If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex.
• BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.).
• If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit.
• You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.
• NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.
• Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.
• Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.
• Do not upload password-protected documents.
• Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

What to expect next

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. You will be notified of the outcome.

A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days of the issuance date of the certificate. For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to USAJOBS Help Guide. USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications.

You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency's point of contact on the job announcement.

To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Application 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.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION Section 2638.103 of Title 5 of the CFR states: Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics.

It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials.

Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports.

In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements. This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521).

Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities.

These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions, please contact Rhonda Dory at *** or *** X18471.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy. The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment.

If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.