INTERDISCIPLINARY MATERIALS ENGINEER/CHEMICAL ENGINEER Job in Kittery, ME

Vacancy No. ST-12802043-25-ARM Department United States Fleet Forces Command
Salary $69,213.00 to $108,859.00 Grade 9 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/17/2025 Close Date 9/23/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Kittery, ME


Summary

You will serve as a INTERDISCIPLINARY MATERIALS ENGINEER/CHEMICAL ENGINEER in the WATERFRONT SUPPORT BRANCH (134.3), LABORATORY DIVISION, QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE of PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD.

Duties

  • You will serve as the subject matter technical expert for matters in rubber, paint, and plastics.
  • You will plan and conduct physical, chemical, and equipment studies of a very complex and difficult nature in support of NAVSEA and other regulatory requirements.
  • You will advise on improvement of equipment, procedural methods, and ensure that specialized equipment is procured, modified, and installed.
  • You will determine if existing equipment and methods can be modified to meet test criteria and you will assist other laboratory personnel in solving difficult or unusual problems.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
  • New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • Generally, current federal employees applying for GS jobs must serve at least one year at the next lower grade level. This requirement is called time-in-grade. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • You will be required to successfully complete a pre-appointment physical examination.
  • You will be required to wear personal protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, coveralls, glasses, goggles, respirators, and safety shoes continuously for the duration of the work shift.
  • Work is performed in areas where potentially harmful physical and chemical agents are present (e.g. fumes, dust, heat, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and chemicals). You will be required to participate in medical surveillance programs.
  • This position is subject to work an uncommon tour, including nights, weekends, and holidays to meet mission requirements. Overtime or night differential pay and/or unusual duty hours may be required.
  • This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.
  • This is a bargaining unit position

Qualifications


For GS-0806-11
Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Experienced in the scientific and technological aspects of material usage, specifically with rubber, paints, and plastics, including the application of core principles and practices.
  • Experience resolving complex problems or developing strategies to meet unusual needs of materials (rubber, paints, plastic testing and rubber manufacturing).
  • Experience coordinating team-based projects and providing technical oversight and direction.
  • Experience formulating, executing, advising, and/or recommending solutions to modify standard practices, equipment, or devices.
OR
Successful completions of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
OR
Successful completion of three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree
OR
A combination of experience and graduate education as described above that equates to one year of experience.

For GS-0806-09
Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Experienced in utilizing materials science, with a focus on rubber, paints, and plastics.
  • Experience assisting in resolving complex problems or utilizing existing strategies to meet unusual needs of materials (rubber, paints, plastic testing and rubber manufacturing).
  • Experience performing material analyses in support of rubber, paint, and adhesives.
  • Experience preparing, presenting, and evaluating plans, designs, reports and correspondence.
OR
Successful completions of a master's degree
OR
Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree
OR
A combination of experience and graduate education as described above that equates to one year of experience.

For GS-0893-11
Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Experienced in the scientific and technological aspects of material usage, specifically with rubber, paints, and plastics, including the application of core principles and practices.
  • Experience resolving complex problems or developing strategies to meet unusual needs of materials (rubber, paints, plastic testing and rubber manufacturing).
  • Experience coordinating team-based projects and providing technical oversight and direction.
  • Experience formulating, executing, advising, and/or recommending solutions to modify standard practices, equipment, or devices.
OR
Successful completions of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
OR
Successful completion of three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree
OR
A combination of experience and graduate education as described above that equates to one year of experience.

For GS-0893-09
Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
  • Experienced in utilizing materials science, with a focus on rubber, paints, and plastics.
  • Experience assisting in resolving complex problems or utilizing existing strategies to meet unusual needs of materials (rubber, paints, plastic testing and rubber manufacturing).
  • Experience performing material analyses in support of rubber, paint, and adhesives.
  • Experience preparing, presenting, and evaluating plans, designs, reports and correspondence.
OR
Successful completions of a master's degree
OR
Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree
OR
A combination of experience and graduate education as described above that equates to one year of experience.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/materials-engineering-series-0806/

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/chemical-engineering-series-0893/
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

Applicants must meet the following positive education qualifications requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise.

A transcript must be submitted with your application

Additional information

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf


PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined well qualified (WQ). To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation.

ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.

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.

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.

****Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees.

Review our 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.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • MATERIALS ENGINEERING
  • PARTNERING
  • PROBLEM SOLVING
  • RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
  • SYSTEMS TESTING AND EVALUATION
  • WRITTEN COMMUNICATION


You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Required Documents

You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume and assessment questionnaire. You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package. Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager. Cover letter is optional.

A complete resume is required. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.

Are you applying for a promotion? For GS positions, to be considered for promotion, you must provide SF-50(s) that shows that you held the next lower GS grade for at least one year. SF-50s that have an effective date within the past year (e.g., General Adjustment SF-50 from this year or Within Rate/Grade Increases (WRI/WGI) SF-50 within a year) do not clearly show that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement. That means if you submit an SF-50 dated within the last year, you must submit another SF-50 dated more than one year ago to clearly demonstrate you meet the time-in-grade requirements. If you are a DoD employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF- 50(s) from MyBiz.

Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package.

Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume or assessment questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified.

Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor

Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference?
If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference.

You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf.

Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).

Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize the documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.

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 the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Complete resume. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
2. Complete assessment questionnaire. For a quick preview of the assessment questionnaire click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12802043
3. Documentation that supports all of the claims made in your resume and assessment questionnaire

Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.

Your complete application (resume, assessment questionnaire, and all supporting documents) must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 09/23/2025to receive consideration. Applications received after 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 09/23/2025 will generally not be accepted. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed. Please do not submit multiple resumes.

NOTE: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://mydon.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process so please plan appropriately.

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.

It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documents are legible and accurate. Human Resources will not modify a resume or change an applicant's answer to a question, even upon request.

Agency contact information

Department of Navy EIC
Address
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD
HRO Building 44/1
Portsmouth, NH 03804-5000
US

Next steps

When the application process is complete, your complete application (resume, assessment questionnaire, and all supporting documents) will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements for which you requested consideration. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements.

Generally, only best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Sometimes well qualified andminimally qualified candidates are referred. Occasionally, candidates eligible for priority consideration are referred, and no other candidates are referred.

The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews.

You will be notified of our rating and referral decision. If you are referred, you will be notified when a hiring decision is made.

NOTE: If you have any questions or need assistance, please email the DON Employment Information Center at DONEIC@us.navy.mil


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


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