Summary
NOTE: Read location information in Additional Information section before applying. This is not a remote position.
This employee supports the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL).
This scientist is responsible for evaluating the environmental impacts of wood-based product production and use including carbon mitigation benefits.
For additional information about these positions, please contact Prakash Nepal at Prakash.Nepal@usda.gov.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority under the USDA Demonstration Project will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
Duties
- Evaluating the forest sector role in sustainable management of natural systems.
- Analyzing the role of forests and harvested wood products in mitigating climate change by storing carbon and offsetting emissions.
- Evaluating opportunities to use forest biomass in the West to mitigate fire risk.
- Conducting life cycle analysis of the environmental effects of wood and bioenergy products.
- Understanding the environmental impacts, particularly carbon emissions and offsets, of wood and paper product products production and use.
- Quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials.
- Assessing the climate change impact associated with recovery and reuse of wood building materials.
- Participating in code and standard development.
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
Qualifications
To qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
This is a research scientist position and is classified under the scientist career plan. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. Research accomplishments and their impact on the duties and responsibilities of positions are evaluated periodically. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. Final grade level will be determined by a peer review panel. The purpose of the initial review panel is to determine the grade level upon entry into a position.
Candidates being considered for this research position should provide a list of publications for which you have been an author, co-author, or contributor. If providing curriculum vitae, please incorporate all resume requirements identified in the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement, or submit a supplemental resume which includes all information required in addition to the curriculum vitae.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts are required. Provide course descriptions to clarify content of coursework as necessary.
In addition to meeting the basic education requirement listed in the Education section, you must also possess experience or directly related education in the amounts listed below.
GS-11: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9). Specialized experience at this level is defined as:
- Conducting the full cycle of scientific research with defined objectives, limited in scope to investigating specific phenomena or problems, or are segments of related investigations. Research at this level requires conventional techniques and involves applying existing theory or methods to areas previously investigated, but under different conditions, or involves adapting previous studies considering changes in theory or improved techniques and instrumentation and result in contributions that add to scientific and professional knowledge or support developing new or improved methods and techniques. This research must have been in one or more of the following areas: quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials such as lumber, panels, and bioenergy/biofuels through the stages of planting, growing, manufacturing, construction, operational use, demolition, and disposal; research engineering or physical science related to embodied emissions, mitigating climate change by using biobased materials that store carbon and can offset emissions, evaluating opportunities to use biomass especially to mitigate fire risk, and conducting life-cycle analysis on the environmental impacts of biobased products.
- Disseminating research findings at conferences or scientific meetings and contributing to results published in peer-reviewed journals.
- Collaborating and building partnerships with researchers, resource managers, and other collaborators.
--OR--
- Conferred master's degree that included scientific research in areas related to the work of the position which is life-cycle assessment techniques and methods and/or includes coursework in areas such as mass and energy balances, biomass analysis, environmental analysis, thermodynamics, unit process modeling
GS-12: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Specialized experience at this level is defined as:
- Conducting the full cycle of scientific research (including identifying research topics, defining study objectives, organizing and conducting the research, interpreting the results, and presenting the findings in the form of reports, demonstrations, manuscripts, and other appropriate technology transfer activities) in one or more of the following areas: quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials such as lumber, panels, and bioenergy/biofuels through the stages of planting, growing, manufacturing, construction, operational use, demolition, and disposal; research engineering or physical science related to embodied emissions, mitigating climate change by using biobased materials that store carbon and can offset emissions, evaluating opportunities to use biomass especially to mitigate fire risk, and conducting life-cycle analysis on the environmental impacts of biobased products
- Forming, leading, and participating in research teams, regional, and/or national importance.
- Disseminating research findings at conferences or scientific meetings and publishing results in peer-reviewed journals.
--OR--
- Conferred Ph.D. degree that included scientific research in areas related to the work of the position which is life-cycle assessment techniques and methods and/or includes coursework in areas such as mass and energy balances, biomass analysis, environmental analysis, thermodynamics, unit process modeling
GS-13: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). At the GS- 13 grade level, graduate level education alone is not qualifying. To qualify at this grade, you must possess the specialized experience listed below.
Specialized experience at this level is defined as:
- Conducting a diversity or body of research as a Principal Investigator or project member on multiple studies in Life-Cycle Assessment hat include the full cycle of scientific research (i.e. identifying research topics, defining study objectives, organizing and conducting the research, interpreting the results, and presenting the findings in the form of reports, demonstrations, manuscripts, and other appropriate technology transfer activities)as it pertains to: quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials such as lumber, panels, and bioenergy/biofuels through the stages of planting, growing, manufacturing, construction, operational use, demolition, and disposal; research engineering or physical science related to embodied emissions, mitigating climate change by using biobased materials that store carbon and can offset emissions, evaluating opportunities to use biomass especially to mitigate fire risk, and conducting life-cycle analysis on the environmental impacts of biobased products.
- Developing and disseminating research findings in collaboration with resource managers and planners for presentation at conferences or scientific meetings and publishing results in peer-reviewed journals.
Education
Basic Education Requirement for all Engineering positions (0800)
Four year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering: The program must have (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
--OR--
Combination of education and experience: A college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) theoretical and practical understanding of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering as demonstrated by one of the following:
Professional registration/licensure - Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
Written Test - Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, or a written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board.
Specified academic courses - Completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences that included the courses specified in the degree requirements.
Related curriculum - Completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, and at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision.
Basic Education Requirements for all Physical Science positions (1301)
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--
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.
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.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
A Direct-Hire Authority under the USDA Demonstration Project will be used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, including any applicable selective placement factor(s), will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the application documents are reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.
Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be referred to the selecting official.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect whether you are considered. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11931000
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the responsibilities section including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process.
Read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. (MST), Monday - Friday. If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be returned to Human Resources no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order for it to be entered into the system prior to the closing date.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, in USAJOBS click "Apply" and follow the instructions to attach your resume and required documents, complete the assessment questionnaire, and submit your application.
We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
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