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 the servo, antenna electronic, and data acquisition systems.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

This Merit Promotion position is open to Current Federal Employees and Former Federal Employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may also apply such as Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A), former Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Vista volunteers; certain Military Spouses, or individuals eligible under various programs for Veterans (VRA, VEOA, 30% disabled).

Duties

1. Repairs and maintains antenna servo systems, chopping secondary mirror systems, deice systems, power distribution systems, and other analog and digital electronic and electrical systems as required.

2. Fabricates complex mechanical assemblies and electronics consisting of chassis, cables, connectors (MS, D, JDC, and coax styles), power supplies, junction boxes, terminal strips, and multi-layer circuit boards from schematics and developed design specifications.

3. Performs test procedures for electronic circuits and systems and performs electronic circuit systems integration, testing, troubleshooting, and documenting using SMA approved methods.

4. Performs "first hand" debugging and maintenance of a wide range of electrical, mechanical and electromechanical subsystems, including transporter electronics and control systems, generators, batteries, antennas, 480 VAC electrical wiring, and antenna motors and brakes.

5. Designs and conducts complex tests to evaluate system performance, reliability, and compliance with technical standards. Analyzes test data, determines acceptability of equipment modifications, and validates operational readiness. Develops or refines test procedures, calibration methods, and performance benchmarks.

6. Monitors, operates and maintains electronic and computer-based systems supporting mission operations. Provides technical guidance to other technicians and operational staff. Maintains documentation, logs, and technical records; ensures configuration control.

7. Supports engineers in research, development, and evaluation of new or modified electronic systems. Participates in prototype testing, data collection, and performance analysis. Recommends system improvements, cost-effective modifications, and reliability enhancements.

8. Performs advanced maintenance, calibration, and repair of complex electronic systems.

9. Diagnoses system faults using advanced test equipment and analytical techniques; resolves issues involving interdependent subsystems

10. Develops and updates maintenance procedures, technical documentation, and repair standards.

11. Installs new or upgraded electronic systems and associated hardware and verifies functionality when integrated into the system.

12. Perform other related duties as assigned.

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.
U.S. Citizenship is required

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-09 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 digital systems, operating high-speed digital oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers, and good hands-on electronic skills to isolate and repair faults in 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.

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.
The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer. Additional information can be found on our website at (www.si.edu/oeesd).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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:

1. Knowledge to apply a wide range of specialized methods, techniques, procedures, or practices to provide technical support in the testing, repair, and maintenance of electronic servo systems, circuitry, and scientific instrumentation.

2. Ability to work from schematics, sketches, prints, and verbal instructions to fabricate prototype and final electronic systems.

3. Knowledge of structural and mechanical techniques, in particular precision mechanical assemblies.

4. Knowledge of CAD software as applied to drawing circuit and assembly diagrams.

5. Skill in analog and digital electronics troubleshooting and testing practices, including the use of sophisticated test equipment such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.

6. Knowledge of electrical and electromechanical power circuits and systems.

7. Knowledge of system diagnostics, calibration standards, and advanced test equipment.

8. Understanding of system architecture, software-controlled components, and data acquisition systems.

9. Ability to interpret engineering drawings, schematics, technical manuals, and specifications.

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:

Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position. Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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).
Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages.
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.

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