Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:
To qualify for the 1340 series:
EDUCATION:
A. Degree: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or other natural science major that included:
1. At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of:
- Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;*
- Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale);
- Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and
- Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.
2. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.*
3. Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.*
4. At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science.
* There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
-AND-
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
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.
To qualify at the GS-11 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Utilizing or maintaining meteorological software for the analysis of tropical or marine data; and
- Providing support in the communication or dissemination of information to support public awareness for severe weather.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science or in a directly related field or 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirements. Note: Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.
To qualify at the GS-12 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Participating in the analysis of meteorological data to prepare or issue tropical cyclone forecasts or warnings;
- Developing or maintaining meteorological software applications to support tropical and marine analysis; and
- Participating in outreach activities or workshops to communicate and disseminate information to support public awareness for severe weather.
To qualify at the GS-13 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Analyzing and evaluating numerical weather prediction models to prepare and issue tropical cyclone forecasts or warnings;
- Implementing and maintaining meteorological software applications and supporting the transition of applications or software from research to operations; and
- Providing advice or guidance to support severe weather preparedness programs and severe weather public awareness activities.