Interdisciplinary General Physical Scientist/General Engineer

Department of Energy - Agency Wide | Pittsburgh, PA

Posted Date 10/08/2024
Description
DOE offers you the chance to be part of the clean energy revolution and make a difference in the fight against the climate crisis. Join the DOE Clean Energy Corps!

This series covers positions managing, supervising, leading, and/or performing administrative and management work.

  • Vacancies filled under this public notice may have varying levels of promotion potential and supervisory level, if any.
  • Positions may be filled as permanent, term, or temporary with a full-time or part-time work schedule.

As a Interdisciplinary General Physical Scientist/General Engineer you may:

  • Provide scientific advice and guidance to officials, managers, scientists, and engineers.
  • Serve as an expert for a significant segment of a specific area in one or more of the following: advanced scientific computing research; basic energy sciences; biological and environmental research; fusion energy sciences; high energy physics; nuclear physics; and workforce development.
  • Provide technical guidance on proposed research projects and programs of interest.
  • Coordinate, implement, and evaluate segments of research programs in the assigned area of responsibility.
  • Assemble essential information on topics of assigned segments of research through various source materials.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-07: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

  • Applying principles, theories, practices, and techniques in engineering or a physical sciences; AND
  • Assisting with gathering information concerning environmental or science impacts.
OR EDUCATION: 1 year of graduate-level education

OR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Based on a Bachelor's degree that is demonstrated through class standing (upper 1/3 of class); grade point average (3.0/4.0 overall or 3.5/4.0 in major), or election to membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor society.

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. The first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-09: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Applying principles, theories, practices, and techniques in engineering or a physical sciences; AND
  • Gathering and analyzing information concerning environmental or scientific impacts; AND
  • Analyzing environmental or scientific information and preparing or reviewing reports.
OR: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Researching scientific data and making recommendations for efficiencies; AND
  • Performing projects using standard techniques and models related to scientific processes; AND
  • Analyzing environmental or scientific information and preparing or reviewing reports.
OR: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree orPh.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education more than 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-12: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Researching and interpreting program related laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures related to engineering or scientific regulations and compliance, AND
  • Preparing technical reports as it relates to engineering or scientific issues; AND
  • Monitoring program implementation and making recommendations on the allocation of resources.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-12 level.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-13: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Researching and interpreting program related laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures related to engineering or scientific regulations and compliance, AND
  • Preparing technical reports as it relates to engineering or scientific issues; AND
  • Monitoring program implementation and making recommendations on the allocation of resources; AND
  • Applying analytical techniques for assessing the effectiveness or efficiency of engineering or scientific operations or work processes.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-13 level.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-14: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Developing engineering or scientific regulatory program guidance, procedures, and policies to guide organization in effective program execution; AND
  • Researching and interpreting program related laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures related to engineering or scientific regulations and compliance, AND
  • Preparing technical reports as it relates to engineering or scientific issues; AND
  • Applying analytical techniques for assessing the effectiveness or efficiency of engineering or scientific operations or work processes.
NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-14 level.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS GS-15: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
  • Leading a team of engineering or scientific professional to develop and/or manage technical programs and/or projects pertaining to environmental or scientific aspects; AND
  • Developing engineering or scientific regulatory program guidance, procedures, and policies to guide organization in effective program execution; AND
  • Researching and interpreting program related laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures related to engineering or scientific regulations and compliance, AND
  • Managing time and resources to develop various products or meet program objectives.

NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-15 level.

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"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

OPM Qualification Standards for the GS-801/1301 series can be found at the following website: General Physical Scientist or General Engineer

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

This public notice will be used to fill multiple positions as needed, therefore referral lists may be issued daily. Applications must be submitted and qualification requirements met by 11:59 p.m. ET each day in order to be referred on any certificates issued the following day.

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement listed below and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.

Basic Requirement for Physical Scientist (1301):

  1. 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

  2. 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.

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Basic Requirement for General Engineer (801):

Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (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 -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished:(1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

  1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
  2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
  3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
  4. Related curriculum -- Successful 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, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.
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This vacancy has a positive education requirement. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

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