Physical Scientist Job in New Orleans, LA

Vacancy No. BSEE-EEGG-25-BH-029(DH) Department Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Salary $72,553.00 to $134,435.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/23/2024 Close Date 12/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
New Orleans, LA


Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Oil Spill Preparedness Division (OSPD), Preparedness Verification Branch, Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Preparedness (OSP) Section, located in Jefferson, LA.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Provides guidance, expert advice, training, and instruction to staff of the Branch on technical review and evaluation of oil spill response plans (OSRPs), plan holder training and exercises, unannounced exercises, oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and ensures all activities are in accordance with national policy.
2. Conducts technical review and evaluation of OSRPs, conducts and evaluates unannounced exercises; inspects and evaluates oil spill response equipment and associated maintenance, training and use records; and engages in other oil spill program activities. Administers enforcement processes or refers cases for civil penalty review as appropriate.
3. Leads, assists, or instructs others in the development and execution of government initiated unannounced oil spill exercises; may conduct exercises and/or serve as an evaluator.
4. Prepares and reviews a broad range of complex correspondence to answer or solicit information from lessees, operators, oil spill removal organizations, Federal and state agencies, and the general public.
5. Serves as the lead BSEE representative on Regional Response Teams (RRT), Area Committees, and incident specific RRT calls, providing support, advice and expertise to the National Response System on matters pertinent to oil spill planning, preparedness, and response.
6. Attends meetings and conferences with BSEE personnel; Federal, state, and industry representatives; and the general public concerning the implementation of relevant regulations, policies, and requirements of the OSRP review and approval process.
7. During actual spills the incumbent deploys to incident command posts and serves in designated positions within the Incident Command Structure. Assesses engineering, technical and scientific needs during a spill response and helps coordinate agency support to the Incident Command.

BSEE has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Travel by auto, plane, helicopter, or boat is required for field work, site visits, meetings, training, and conferences.

Field work involves equipment inspections, unannounced exercises, operator-led training audits and exercises, sometimes offshore on vessels. This requires regular/recurring physical exertion, related to frequent inspections/surveys, to include considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. All field activities require some form of agility and dexterity. Offshore deployments may involve extended travel on vessels over water, vessel-to-vessel transfers, and the infrequent need to climb into/out of emergency evacuation devices. Spill response equipment inspections may involve overhead operations, movement of heavy machinery, and other activities that require the incumbent to look in all directions and be continuously and clearly aware of surroundings.

The incumbent may be required to deploy to command posts during oil spill incidents and to travel away from the duty station for long periods in excess of a week. Incident deployments are typically located in office settings and may require working more than 12 hours a day. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy.

Work is primarily performed in an office setting with occasional trips to offshore locations, storage yards, and incident command posts. In-office work involves normal everyday risks or discomforts typical of an office setting. Field work exposes the incumbent to adverse conditions such as weather, temperature extremes, and higher accident potential when offshore or in outdoor equipment yards and warehouse environments. The incumbent will typically spend 30-40 days per year conducting field work. Some work conditions may expose the incumbent to high noise levels, marine and other wildlife. Hardhats, safety glasses, safety-toe shoes, hearing protection, selected uniforms for the environment, and other safety precautions are required.

This position may be subject to medical evaluations and monitoring to ensure safety in the performance of duties. The agency is in the process of developing the applicable policies. Incumbent is required to successfully complete assigned role-based training, such as water survival and hands-on oil spill response field operations on a regular and recurring basis as described in Bureau policy.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
  3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  5. Selective Service: 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 http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

Salary Information (per annum)
GS-11: $72,553- $94,317
GS-12: $86,962- $113,047
GS-13: $103,409- $134,435

This vacancy is also announced as BSEE-EEGG-25-CM-026(DEU) and BSEE-EEGG-25-CM-027(MP) for those applicants who wish to apply for the GS-9 level.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience Requirements for the series/grade to which you are applying.

(1) Basic Educational Requirements:
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:
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.
NOTE: Transcripts are required to verify Basic Educational Requirements.

AND

(2) Specialized Experience
GS-11:
To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to
at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through
Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular
knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in
or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated
experience:
1. Independently collecting, analyzing, and reporting on scientific or technical data;
2. Adhering to oil spill response (or other incident management) operations, policies, laws, regulations
and statutes relative to contingency planning; AND
3. Participating in various National Preparedness System training or activities, such as organized exercises/drills, capabilities training, or response equipment inspections required by regulation, law, or
policy.
Must meet all.
OR
Education: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D.
or equivalent doctoral degree.
OR
Qualifying Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed
graduate education (only successfully completed education beyond the second year (or 36 semester
hours) is creditable towards meeting this requirement) and specialized experience equivalent to the GS-
9 level that is related to the position and total 100% of the requirement for this grade level.
NOTE: Transcripts are required to verify Education.

GS-12:
To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to
the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal
service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge,
skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to
the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Utilizing oil spill (or other incident management) planning, preparedness, response concepts and
strategies, including assessment of the behavior and environmental effects of contaminants;
2. Drafting or conducting technical reviews and evaluations of spill response (or other incident
management) contingency plans for compliance with applicable Federal, state, and/or local laws,
regulations, and policy requirements;
3. Conducting field inspections of oil-filled operational equipment or spill containment, control, and
cleanup equipment; AND
4. Conducting or evaluating National Preparedness System exercises or training in alignment with
applicable Federal, state, and/or local laws or regulations.
Must meet all.

GS-13:
To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to
the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal
service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge,
skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to
the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:
1. Managing regulatory oversight and compliance of spill response (or other incident management)
requirements, including issuance of corrective action and improvement plans;
2. Designing, conducting, and evaluating National Preparedness System exercises in alignment with the
Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), National Preparedness for Response and
Exercise Preparedness (PREP) Guidelines, or similar program;
3. Operating within an Incident Command Structure during incident responses or response exercises;
4. Engaging with regulated community, industry representatives, general public and Federal, state, and
local partners during conferences and meetings; AND
5. Providing technical advisement on the development and revision of spill response (or other incident
management) regulations, policy, or strategies, including considerations for unique regional scenarios.
Must meet all.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

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.

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12618635

Required Documents

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/

Your application package must include: (1) Resume showing relevant experience as written in your own words; (2) Completed online Assessment Questionnaire; (3) College transcript (if applicable) for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; (4) Certificates, license, etc. (if applicable); (5) Form DD-214 OR VA letter and Standard Form 15.

You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance.

If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.

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

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.

To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Agency contact information

Brittany Hodul
Address
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, VA 20166
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment from USAJobs that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line assessment questionnaire, resume and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJobs account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.


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


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