Electronics Technician Job in Hilo, HI

Vacancy No. 25-43 Department Smithsonian Institution
Salary $92,520.00 to $120,282.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/15/2025 Close Date 6/13/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Hilo, HI


Summary

The employee is responsible for providing specialized electronics technical support and assistance to the SMA in the testing, troubleshooting, and documentation of electronic, electrical, and electromechanical systems, with emphasis on present and future microwave and digital systems.

Duties

  1. Maintain and repair the SMA microwave transmission systems and digital spectrometer electronics.
  2. Fabricate complex electronic and mechanical assemblies consisting of chassis, cables, connectors (MS, D, IDC, SMA, N, and other styles), power supplies, junction boxes, terminal strips, and multi-layer circuit boards from schematics and developed design specifications.
  1. Perform test procedures to calibrate, measure, and document RF and digital control systems performance. Adapts software to assess analog and digital subsystems stability and sensitivity.
  1. Operate antennas and subsystems for engineering tests and for scientific observations when necessary, including assisting operators in priming and operating the SMA.
  1. Oversee IF/LO laboratory in Hilo. Tracks and ensures spare analog and digital modules, associated equipment are operational. Ensures routine laboratory supplies are ordered as needed.

Perform other related duties as assigned. Participate in meetings as required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • May be required to pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
  • May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • Must maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
  • Must possess a vaild state driver's license.
  • Must pass a high altitude physical examination prior to employment.

Other Requirements:

Occasional travel may be required to attend scientific, technical, or administrative meetings or other functions at SAO or other institutions.

Qualification requirements must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date.

Qualifications

One year of full-time experience at the GS-11 level that is close or similar to the work of this job. The experience includes activities such as  technical support for state of the art analog and digital systems, operating high-speed digital oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers, and good hands-on Radio Frequency (RF) and digital electronics skills to isolate and repair faults in high frequency transmission systems and multi-layered boards with a wide range of ICs such as FPGAs, ASICs, and DSPs.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management web site:  http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/electronics-technical-series-0856/

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

  • The Smithsonian does not pay relocation expenses.
  • A recruitment bonus may be paid.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

Knowledge of  the  theory,  design  characteristics,  operation,  and  functions  of  electronic  and microwave instruments, components, and subsystems.

Practical experience with high frequency superheterodyne receivers (200 GHz and above).

Skill in applying methods and principles of electronic and electrical technician work to adapt existing precedents and/or techniques to current and future IFLO and spectrometer packages.

Ability to design, build, modify, and repair complex electronic devices from specific layouts or schematic diagrams.

Knowledge of computer software and the ability to develop and modify application programs in real time operating systems.

Practical experience with repair of surface mount electronics.

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.


Important Note:
Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience.

Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

 

 


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Your application package should include the following documents:

  • Detailed resume
  • Proof of prior federal service such as the latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action
  • Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
  • Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
  • A recent performance evaluation
  • Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA
  • Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration
  • Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order
  • Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here.

How to Apply

Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:

  • You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
  • You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.
  • The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.

Agency contact information

Mary Hebert
Phone
617-496-7816
Fax
617-495-7263
Email
mhebert@cfa.harvard.edu
Address
SMITHSONIAN
Human Resources
60 Garden Street
Mail Stop 17
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
United States

Next steps

At the end of the application process you will be able to create and save a PDF file that contains your responses to the assessment questions. You may save this file as receipt of your application.

The Smithsonian receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. We will send you an e-mail to update you as we go through phases of the application review process. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS;" e-mailing vacancy.info@si.edu; or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Representative listed.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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