This position is located in the National Weather Service (NWS), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Storm Prediction Center (SPC) with one vacancy in Boise, ID or Norman, OK.
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: To qualify for the 1340 series: EDUCATION: A. Degree: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or other natural science major that included: 1. At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;* Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale); Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation. 2. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.* 3. Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.* 4. At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science. * There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major. OR B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. -AND- SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations 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. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To qualify at the GS-14 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Developing and presenting fire weather forecasts; Assisting in developing policies and plans for fire safety and response; and Ensuring functioning of staff, dissemination of products, and fulfillment of required activities related to fire weather forecasting.
As a Meteorologist, you will perform the following duties: Promote awareness of fire weather risks and preparedness efforts, identifying priority preparedness objectives and developing national projects to meet those objectives. Provide authoritative guidance regarding the fire weather program and related warning missions and works closely with the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) leadership team to ensure the external communication of SPC fire weather forecasts achieves the highest level of effectiveness. Serve as a Lead Fire Weather Forecaster when working operational shifts, utilizing an expert-level mastery of fire weather meteorology in the preparation of both routine and unscheduled multi-day SPC fire weather forecasts involving highly complex and variable atmospheric processes affecting the United States. May serve as an incident Meteorologist (IMET), providing on-site or remote Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS) to emergency managers, emergency response officials, and Federal, state and regional decision makers. Learn more about NWS and its mission here: https://www.noaa.gov/www.noaa.gov/regional-collaboration-network/regional-videos. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: The work is generally sedentary. Routine duties require meeting tight deadlines. Additionally, rotating shift work is occasionally required with the SPC in operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During periods of threatening weather or rapidly changing weather conditions, the increase in workload and the necessity for rapid dissemination of weather forecasts and updates require periods of acute mental alertness and produces considerable mental stress. Adverse weather conditions often require the incumbent to work hours longer than the usual shift, adding to mental and physical stress. During periods of threatening weather or rapidly changing weather conditions, the increase in workload requires periods of acute mental alertness and produces considerable mental stress. Adverse weather conditions may require the incumbent to work hours longer than the usual shift. As an Incident Meteorologist (IMET), the incumbent may travel to a remote site that serves as the "Incident Command" for first responders fighting a fire. This can require travel on short (less than 24 hours) notice to occasionally very remote locations, sometimes even sleeping in a rental car if hotels are not readily available. *There is a pool of available IMETs from which to draw, if an employee person is unable to travel to a particular fire.