This position is part of the National Weather Service (NWS), Pacific Region (PR), Pacific Tsunami Warning Centers (PTWC), National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC), with two vacancies in each listed location.
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 OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) 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 1301 series: EDUCATION: A. 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 B. 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. -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-09 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-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Assisting in analyzing data to support the communication or dissemination of information for severe weather events or tsunamis. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirements. Note: Only graduate-level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.
As a Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties: The working title for this position is Duty Scientist. In an advanced developmental capacity, serve on a rotational basis supporting a tsunami investigation team that responds to earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and other physical phenomena on a 24x7 basis. Conduct conventional analysis and provide results to higher level scientists for communication dissemination within the Tsunami Warning System. Collect geophysical and oceanographic data to aid higher level scientists for recommendations to plans and procedures to address community emergency action needs for tsunami events. Under the guidance of the higher-level scientists, implement and prepare operational software, operational computer programs, and interfaces using scientific and scripting languages and tools such as: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and databases. Utilize computer programming and scripting languages, such as Fortran, C, Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, and Bash for scientific applications to create graphics and graphical user interfaces and to access databases, for GIS applications, and for web pages. Participate in communication tests with local, state, national and international organizations for drills and during tsunami events. Attend meetings, committees, and conferences to obtain information for assignments or provide standard technical information. Deliver standard outreach presentations and collaborate with partners, customers, fellow staff and others to assist with products, websites and social media sites. Receive assignments and actively participate in activities to increase knowledge and skill. Collaborate with team members to brainstorm ideas and solutions for Tsunami Warning Centers (TWC) assignments. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: May require some travel. This position is mission essential as the individual will be required to report to work or remain at work location during tsunami, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and other physical phenomena, etc. during high-impact events to provide impact-based decision support services to critical decision makers including warning partners such as other federal, state, or local-level governmental agencies over matters involving immediate/emergency public health and safety measures. WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment most closely resembles that of an office with added specialized equipment. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work is generally sedentary, although carrying of bulky projectors and other information materials is occasionally required. Routine duties require meeting tight deadlines. Additionally, during large earthquake/tsunami events, the increase in workload and the necessity for rapid dissemination of warnings and updates requires periods of acute mental alertness and produces considerable mental stress. Large earthquakes and/or tsunami events often require the incumbent to work hours longer than the usual shirt, adding to mental and physical stress.