Physical Scientist

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to United States Citizens; U.S. Nationals; and Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

At the full performance level (GS-13), some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• During actual spills the employee 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.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Physical Demands: In-office work is primarily sedentary. Field work involves conducting equipment inspections, unannounced exercises, auditing operator-led training and exercises, sometimes offshore on vessels. This position requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to frequent inspections and surveys. This physical exertion includes considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. All field activities require some degree of agility and dexterity, for example traversing uneven surfaces, climbing stairs and ladders, being on offshore vessels while underway. 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 in warehouse environments 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 hire may also be required to deploy to command posts during oil spill incidents. Incident deployments are typically located in office environments at incident command posts and may require working more than 12 hours a day. Successful completion of 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 Environment: Work is primarily performed in an office setting, offices of offshore operators, meetings, and conferences, with occasional trips to offshore locations, equipment storage yards, and incident command posts. Travel by auto, plane, helicopter, or boat is required. Offshore travel is primarily conducted by contractor-owned response vessels. The in-office work environment involves normal everyday risks or discomforts typical of an office setting. Deployments to Incident Command Posts are typically in office settings and may require travel away from the duty station for long periods more than a week. Fieldwork, as described above in the Physical Demands, exposes the incumbent to adverse conditions such as weather, temperature extremes (above 90° F Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) or below 0° F), 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, areas with marine and other wildlife. The employee wears hardhats, safety glasses, safetytoe shoes, hearing protection, selected uniforms for the environment and takes other various safety precautions.

Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home 30-45 days per year on average. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.
• You must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/14/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following basic educational minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet at least one of the following basic education requirements:

• 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. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
• B. Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

-AND-

Minimum Qualifications Requirements: In addition to the basic education requirements described above, applicants must also possess one of the below minimum qualifications requirements to qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in ALL of the following: 1) performing observations, computations, compilations and analyses to assist higher-level scientists in carrying out physical science assignments; 2) applying basic physical science principles and standard operating procedures; AND 3) preparing technical reports with recommendations. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. NOTE: You must include a copy of your transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level. For example, six (6) months of the specialized experience (50% of experience), and 27 semester hours of directly-related graduate level college study in an accredited institution (50% of education) would qualify. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Requirements Continued...
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

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

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position

• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job

• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/14/2026:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
4. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
5. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP): If you are applying under I/CTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will 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 submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

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

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