Marine Surveyor (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Clarification from the agency

Open to current and former Federal employees with competitive status, VEOA Applicants, AND All U.S. Citizens.

As a Marine Surveyor, you will:

• Participate in and conduct inspections and surveys to determine the readiness of assigned ship(s), shipboard equipment, and systems, and ensure completed repairs comply with applicable regulatory standards for U.S. Flag ships.
• Serve as the primary Area Division technical and programmatic contact with Ship Managers or General Agents to provide guidance and make recommendations for programmatic-level allocation of resource related to the maintenance, repairs, and
  operations of assigned ships.
• Organize work, set priorities, and determine resource requirements; determine short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinate with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitor progress and evaluate
  outcomes.
• Serve as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Assistant Contracting Officer’s Representative (ACOR), for Ship Managers Contracts and General Agency Agreements (AA’s) in accordance with the terms and conditions delegated by the Point of Contact to Authorized Contracting Officer (PCO/ACO) in a Letter of Assignment.

The ideal candidate for this position is an individual with experience in the management of ship operations, repair, conversion, and industrial projects for assigned ships and/or projects. The ideal candidate can also apply the standards of the U.S. Coast Guard and American
Bureau of Shipping for U.S. flag cargo ships, and possesses strong interpersonal skills required to work with other governments employees, government contractors, ship crews, and partners in the maritime industry.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
• You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
• Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
• GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
• DRUG TEST: If selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
• TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. 
• DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must either the education or specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. 

To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include:

• Experience conducting surveys on machinery, refrigeration, electronic, electrical equipment, hulls, hull equipment, paint, or preservation to determine condition and repairs of assigned ships required to meet specified regulatory standards.
• Experience preparing detailed technical overhaul or repair specifications, based on regulatory requirements, to identify required quality and quantity of materials and estimated man hours.
• Experience preparing cost estimates for each item in the specification and total cost of job, man hours, materials and overhead.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:

•  3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. 

To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include:

• Experience in inspecting vessels undergoing repair, maintenance, and modernization at commercial shipyards and marine repair facilities to ensure adherence to contract specifications and industry standards.
• Experience in monitoring work in progress verify compliance with technical specifications while developing dry dock schedules, planning cyclic maintenance requirements, and coordinating advanced maintenance activities.
• Experience in advising operations, maintenance, and supply personnel on marine maintenance issues, including troubleshooting, repair strategies, and lifecycle support considerations.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience.

To qualify for the GS-13 on Experience,  you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12 it must include:

• Experience in maintaining and repairing ocean-going vessels, and surveying and inspecting such vessels to support classification appraisal, determination of general condition, and assessment of fitness for operations.
• Experience in commercial marine surveying, shipboard engineering officer services, or shipyard management, including providing guidance on vessel maintenance and repair functions, as well as related policies and procedures.
• Experience in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, instructions, and established standards governing the conduct of condition surveys, inspections, dry dockings, dock trials, and sea trials.

You cannot qualify on education at the GS-13 level; you must have experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
• Manages and Organizes Information: Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods. 

For all types of consideration, 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

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

All applicants:  Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process.  Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed.  Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME).

RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application.  These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. 

Your resume MUST contain specific information that is used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week,  and position titles (e.g., Program Analyst, GS-343-11 | January 2009–Present | 40 Hours/Week).  If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level.  The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.

TRANSCRIPTS are REQUIRED if there is a stated education requirement for the series OR if you are substituting education for experience. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. 

ENGINEERS: If you are applying to an engineering position and are qualifying based on possessing a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, or passing the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam, please provide a copy of PE license or written documented proof of passing the EIT.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS / INCENTIVE AWARDS: If applicable, you may submit recent performance appraisals and incentive award documentation dated within the last 18 months. To receive due consideration during the evaluation process, your performance appraisal must show the official rating of record and be signed by a supervisor. If an appraisal is unavailable, you must submit a statement explaining why (do not submit a performance plan). Qualifying incentive documentation includes superior performance, special act or achievement awards, and quality step increases. All submitted documentation will be forwarded to the selecting official to support your application.

VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility.  

• If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
• If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability.  An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
• If applying to a vacancy opened Status and you are requesting consideration under Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) (https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/shav/#veoa), you need to provide a copy of your last DD214 (member-4 copy), which verifies your military service dates, reason for separation, OR certification of separation that shows a discharge date within 120 days of the closing of this announcement, and eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act.

NON COMPETITIVE APPLICANTS: If requesting concurrent consideration for Non-competitive (NC) appointment eligibility, you must provide the appropriate SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, such as PCS orders (military spouse) describing move & marriage certificate; letter from VA or DD214 describing 100% disability of spouse; letter from State Vocational Office certifying disability (schedule A), etc. For more information, visit military spouse NC appointments or Persons with Disabilities NC appointments.

DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 80) and provide all of the following documents:  

• your most recent performance appraisal,
• the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
• your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager. . For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

SPECIAL ATTENTION: To be considered, you must submit all required resume details and applicable documents by the closing date of the announcement. 

Note: You must review and verify that all files are successfully transferred to our system before final submission.

Next steps