Quality Assurance Specialist Job in Gaithersburg, MD

Vacancy No. NCNR-610-24-12396352-AS Department National Institute of Standards and Technology
Salary $99,200.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 3 to 3
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/26/2024 Close Date 5/9/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Gaithersburg, MD


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

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

Duties

The NIST Center for Neutron Research is regarded as a world class, major national user facility with merit-based access made available to the entire U.S. technological community. Each year, approximately 2000 research participants from government, industry, and academia from all areas of the country are served by the facility.

The NCNR is Quality Assurance Specialist will carry out a variety of moderately complex quality assurance and risk management assignments involving different and unrelated processes and methods. Independently performs assignments keeping the supervisor apprised of significant issues and is relied upon for technical determinations within scope of assignments or area of responsibilities. Interprets licensing and design bases requirements; analyzes applicability to operations, engineering, procurement, and maintenance controls; and ensures requirements are adequately incorporated into approved controls. Apply various methods and techniques for investigating, analyzing, and effecting corrective actions and organizational processes.

For more information about NCNR, please see the public site: https://www.nist.gov/ncnr.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. citizenship
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Merit applicants must meet time-in-grade/band requirements, as applicable
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

A. Undergraduate and Graduate Education
: Major study -- quality assurance, statistics, mathematics, production management, industrial management, computer science, engineering, engineering technology, physical sciences, textiles, or other fields related to the position.

OR

B. Experience that demonstrated a practical knowledge in monitoring, controlling, or maintaining the quality of products or services in quality assurance, procurement, inspection, production, or related areas.

IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS listed above: applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level (ZA-II at NIST). Specialized experience is defined as
  • Assisting in the development of quality assurance programs and activities in accordance with a recognized performance standard, (ASME NQA-1, ISO 9001, ANS 15.8 or equivalent)
  • Experience in conducting receipt inspections, periodic assessments.
  • Experience participating in risk analysis and supplier oversight activities, trend analysis and effectiveness evaluations utilizing systems monitoring data.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done. We will credit all qualifying volunteer experience in your application. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.

If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration

Education

Qualifications are based upon meeting specialized experience only. Education cannot be used to qualify for this position.

Additional information

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

  • We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.
  • Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.
  • You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY in order to be considered for this position.
  • All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible in order to make qualification or eligibility determinations.
  • A probationary period may be required..

We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy.

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
  • 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.

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 also selected at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) in order to receive consideration for this position.

RATING:

Applications will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Organizational Awareness
  • Performance Measurement
  • Requirements Analysis
  • Risk Management


Subject Matter Experts may be used for qualification determinations. If the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements are met, your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals, or awards relevant to the duties of the position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses in the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application. To preview the questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12396352

REFERRAL
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. You will be referred depending upon your eligibility (i.e., Merit candidate, veterans preference, etc). Please review the Evaluation Process on how applicants are review and referred based upon how they wish to be considered for the position.

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 are required to submit a resume by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and 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.


REINSTATEMENT: If you are a former federal employee (separated from Federal service for at least 1 year) and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF-50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

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 on how 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 unless an applicant cut off has been identified (see the SUMMARY section, as appropriate). If an applicant cut off has been indicated, the announcement will close by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the cut off number has been met.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office 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?

-If 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 normal business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance.

- If 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 experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply on-line, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during normal business hours to discuss your situation.

Agency contact information

Amanda Reliford

Address

NIST Center for Neutron Research
100 Bureau Drive
Building 235/Room K108
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 the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that 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.