SENIOR TECHNICAL PHYSICAL SCIENTIST

Summary

You will serve as the Precise Time/Time Interval (PTTI) Senior Technical Physical Scientist for the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO), a fourth echelon command reporting to Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (COMNAVMETOCCOM) for operations, and the Commander, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) as the Type Commander. The PTTI position will be located at Naval Observatory headquarters, in Washington DC.

Duties

Help

• You will advise the USNO Scientific Director on evolving requirements and the potential need for new programs to meet these requirements and will prioritize and program resources in accordance with requirements and emergent future community needs.
• You will monitor and oversee development of system concepts and maturation of the capabilities through all phases of capability development and will manage all PTTI programs based on future evolving DoD needs.
• You will provide scientific leadership for future PTTI developments within the Precise Time Department and will plan, execute, and review relevant research in timekeeping to include establishing standards of quality for research conducted at USNO.
• You will interface routinely with high-level DoD personnel, mission partners, and Precise Time stakeholders to facilitate the dissemination of PTTI standard products including the standard time used in all DoD activities.
• You will work with appropriate DoD personnel to establish evolving DoD requirements for precise timing information and to implement necessary improvements in DoD capabilities.
• You will be called upon to make technical presentations at conferences to program managers and to those at the highest executive levels to ensure PTTI requirements are established and products, and their use, are clearly understood.
• You will act as a liaison for DoD with national and international programs and leads multiagency collaborations to solve technical challenges and ensures data product requirements are met.
• You will be a leader and collaborator in international working groups working under the auspices of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and International Telecommunications Union specializing in the investigation of these topics.
• You will represent the USNO at national and international scientific forums and be a member of international and national scientific working groups concerned with the Precise Time and Time Interval.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
• You will be required to complete ethics orientation within three months of appointment and submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment.
• Within the Department of War (DoW), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana) is required. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if you fail to report to the drug test appointment or fail the test. You will be subject to random testing.
• This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.

Qualifications

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, your resume must show that you possess the Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit will be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications:

TQ 1. Demonstrated experience in time standards, precise timekeeping, and time dissemination, including conventional standards for scientific and technical applications.

TQ 2. Comprehensive theoretical and technical knowledge of DoD requirements for precise timing and timing dissemination to improve the long-term security, integrity, availability, and operations of PTTI programs.

TQ 3. Expertise in numerical analysis, statistics, and computational techniques applied to scientific capabilities.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PROF

AND

General Physical Science series, 1301

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

Applicants must meet at least one of the following positive education qualifications requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:

For General Physical Science Series

A. A degree in 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

B. 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;

Additional information

This position is a Senior Scientific position in the federal government. Senior Scientific and professional employees are in non-executive positions whose duties are broad and complex enough to be classified above GS 15 level. Senior level positions involve performance of high-level research and development in the physical, biological, medical, or engineering sciences.

This position is not covered by the Department of War Priority Placement Program.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of War and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf.

There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:

• Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back
• FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
• SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information)

Benefits

Help

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.