Interdisciplinary (General Engineer/Physical Scientist) Job in Menlo Park, CA

Vacancy No. 24-SS-00026-12555535-DH-R Department Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Salary $128,717.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 13 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/23/2024 Close Date 9/30/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Menlo Park, CA


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

This position is part of the Department of Energy, Office of Science, SLAC Site Office. As an Interdisciplinary General Engineer/Physical Scientist, you will serve as Environmental Health & Safety specialist to manage safety and environmental programs at the Lab. Duties may include Operational and Occupational Safety, Construction Safety, Biosafety, Chemical Safety, Electrical Safety, Radiological Safety, NEPA, and Environmental Restoration.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required. This direct hire public notice is to gather applications that may or may not result in a referral or selection.

Duties

As an Interdisciplinary General Engineer/Physical Scientist, you will:

  • Serve as a senior safety and health advisor responsible for overseeing the management of safety and environmental stewardship.
  • Perform safety duties that include Operational and Occupational Safety, Construction Safety, Biosafety, Industrial Hygiene, and Radiological Safety.
  • Develop and evaluate short- and long-term safety goals, objectives, measures, and targets.
  • Serve as the Environmental Health and Safety Specialist managing safety and environmental programs.
  • Provide technical advice and assistance ensuring the adequacy, consistency, and completeness of contract metrics.
  • Perform assessments and investigations to confirm performance of safety systems in meeting established safety and mission requirements.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • GS-14 and above are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
  • If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • This position does not support 100% remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified by the supervisor, but no less than 2 days per pay period.
  • A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.
  • Some hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.
  • This position may be included in a Bargaining Unit.

Qualifications

Basis Requirement for General Engineer (0801):

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

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.)

Basis Requirement for Physical Scientist (1301):

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.

In addition to meeting the above education requirement, the candidate must also possess the experience below:

GS-13 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 3 of the 4 following:

  1. Proposing safety policies, guidelines, and standards.
  2. Utilizing accepted scientific and engineering principles and practices.
  3. Participating in safety assessments, which may result in recommendations for technical changes.
  4. Identifying preventative measures in the workplace.

Education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-13 grade level.

GS-14 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 3 of the 4 following:

  1. Implementing safety policies, guidelines, and standards.
  2. Utilizing accepted scientific and engineering principles and practices.
  3. Conducting safety assessments that may result in recommendations for technical changes.
  4. Mentoring employees in the evaluations of safety processes and hazards.

Education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-14 grade level.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

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.

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.

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for General Engineering positions in the GS-0801 series and Physical Science positions in the GS-1301 series. Under this Direct-Hire authority, applicants are required to meet minimum qualification requirements at the grade level(s) of interest. Veteran's Preference, Schedule A, Category Rating, and other methods of consideration DO NOT APPLY under Direct-Hire Authority regulations.

Appointments made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Civil Service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the Civil Service. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (09/30/2024) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, clickhttps://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12555535.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
  • Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
  • Veterans' Preference documentation,if applicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
  • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on 09/30/2024.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

Peggy Daniel
Address
Office of Science - SLAC Site Office
PO BOX 5088
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. Upon request of a certificate of eligibles, we will refer your name to the hiring official, if your self-assessment responses place you as an eligible candidate for referral, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

If you are interested in being added to our Schedule A or 30% or more Disabled Veterans repository, please submit your information by using the below links.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/789178500 - 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Repository 2024 for Department of Energy

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/789179000 - Schedule A Repository 2024 for Department of Energy


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