Physicist Job in Gaithersburg, MD

Vacancy No. MML-642-25-12620913-DH Department National Institute of Standards and Technology
Salary $82,764.00 to $128,956.00 Grade 3 to 3
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/22/2024 Close Date 11/29/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Gaithersburg, MD


Summary

NIST works with industry and science to advance innovation and improve quality of life. We're looking for a Physicist to join our team!

This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Duties

The Materials Science and Engineering Division performs leading-edge measurement science research, working closely with our stakeholders to impact a broad range of science and technology areas. Our core areas of competence are grounded in the discipline of materials science and engineering (structure-property-processing relationships) with specific focus on metallurgy, polymer science, and functional materials. This expertise has expanded in recent years to include nanoscale materials (2D materials), complex fluids (colloids, emulsions), advanced devices (electronic, magnetic, energy), and advanced manufacturing (additive, biomanufacturing).

In this position, you will:

  • Carry out a program of thin film growth of Magnetoresistive random access memory metrological samples for the purpose of correlating thin film measurands with functional device performance metrics.
  • Conduct a detailed analysis of the microstructure-processing-function relationships of deposited thin films to develop correlations between processing strategies.
  • Conduct detailed analysis of the Heisenberg exchange strength, using experimental design principles to quantify the magnitude of the Heisenberg exchange strength in these samples.
  • Deliver optimized thin film wafers as material libraries for potential lithographic definition as nanodevices.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No
  • Transcripts required

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements:

  1. Degree: physics; or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics.

    OR

  2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In either 1 or 2 above, the courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and courses in any two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound.

In addition to the basic requirements,applicants must also have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 (ZP-II at NIST) level.Specialized Experience is defined as:
  1. Experience in designing and constructing scientific instrumentation.
  2. Expertise in the physics of electricity and magnetism.

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree as defined in the basic requirements.

OR

A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as defined in the additional requirements.

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.

The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.

Applicant Reconsideration

Education

This position has an education requirement. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment.


Use of foreign education for qualifications. An accredited organization must evaluate education completed outside of the U.S. to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with course-by-course listing) is required with your application.

Additional information

This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here!

  • Your application package may be shared with other selecting officials at NIST for similar opportunities and additional selections may be made from this vacancy.
  • Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
  • All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations.
  • 1 year trial period required.
  • The initial appointment is up to 2 years.
  • This appointment may be extended up to four years without further competition.
  • If the selection results in a temporary promotion, it can be extended not to exceed five years or made permanent without further competition.

NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities such as:
  • Telework
  • Flexible work schedules
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid vacation
  • Sick leave
  • Family-friendly leave
  • Childcare subsidy program for qualifying families
  • Back-up child care program
  • Child and elder-care resources
  • On-site childcare center
  • Lactation spaces
  • Wellness programs
  • Fitness center
  • Employee assistance programs

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.

How you will be evaluated: We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination. You MUST select at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) to receive consideration for this position.

Referral: All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are not rated and ranked, and veteran preference does not apply.

CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility

Required Documents

The documents required vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.). Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application. Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.

A complete application includes: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

Resume: All applicants must submit a resume by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and the number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.

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

Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a four-step process to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the closing date of the announcement.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Need help applying?

  • If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary.
  • If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST.
  • If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.

Agency contact information

Evelyn Carter-Hopkins
Address
Materials Science and Engineering Division
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your 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/.

We will update applicant statuses when:

  • A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.
  • Applications are referred to the selecting official.
  • A selection decision has been made.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after announcement's closing date. Also, note that if you provide an inaccurate email address or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication, which could affect your consideration for this position.


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


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