Supervisory Physical Scientist / Supervisory Meteorologist

Job description

Summary This position is located in the National Weather Service (NWS), Weather Forecast Office (WFO) with one vacancy in each listed location.

WFOs issue warnings and forecasts for their local area, keeping the public informed of weather hazards and interacting with emergency management partners to mitigate the impacts of weather and water hazards.

You will directly contribute to the WFO teams by providing highly specialized support for scientific and engineering operations.

Responsibilities As a Supervisory Meteorologist/Supervisory Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties: The working title for this position is Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC)/Official-in-Charge (OIC).

As MIC/OIC direct the Weather Forecast Office's (WFO) weather, water, climate and environmental forecasts, warnings, and support activities.

Ensure the responsiveness and technical soundness of the warning and forecast programs and products.

Responsible for the office's Impact-based Decision Support Services (IDSS) program which provides forecast advice and interpretative services to help core partners make decisions when weather, water, climate and the environment impacts the lives and livelihood of citizens.

Oversee the area-wide WFO public awareness, preparedness, and outreach programs.

Identify and develop plans to execute priority community preparedness objectives.

Serve as the National Weather Service (NWS) chief spokesperson within the WFO's area of responsibility, charged coordinating media requests, and coordinating service changes with customers and partners.

Maintain and improve the complex set of interrelationships between the National Weather Service (NWS), public, government agencies, the media, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other weather user interests.

Plan and assure the integration of output of NWS Doppler weather radar system WSR-88D into the warning and forecast operations of the WFO.

Collect, manage, and provide quality control of data from real-time hydrometeorological/environmental observational platforms throughout the WFO's area of responsibility including the WSR-88D weather radar, upper air (if applicable), and a variety of surface observing systems including volunteer observers.

Ensure climate data collected and disseminated by the WFO is quality controlled and accurate.

Supervise office personnel and provide overall office administrative management.

Manage work assignments and scheduling for employees as well as develop and evaluate performance standards.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: The incumbent must maintain sharp mental focus during highly stressful events.

The incumbent will be required to remain at the office when the general public is evacuating the area.

This position is mission essential and the incumbent will be required to remain at the office when the general public is evacuating the area during high impact weather, water or environmental events to provide impact-based decision support services and warnings to critical decision makers including other federal, state or local level governmental agencies over matters involving immediate/emergency public health and safety measures.

Requirements Conditions of Employment Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

This position requires a Moderate Risk Security Clearance.

Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.

Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).

More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.

Qualification requirements must be met by closing date of the announcement.

Additional Considerations: One year probationary period may be required.* Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) may be authorized.

Background investigation will be required.

Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication.

Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

*Note: A one year probationary period will be required under the Direct Hire Authority unless you are a current Department of Commerce (including NOAA) employee and are in the same line of work and with no more than a 30 day break in service.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; Needs and interests of the agency; Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of then Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active.

Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards.

This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position may be filled with series 1340 (Meteorology) / 1301 (General Physical Science).

Each series requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience in order to be found minimally qualified.

Transcripts must be submitted with your application package.

You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements: To qualify for the 1340 series: EDUCATION: A.

Degree: Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or other natural science major that included:1.

At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;* Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale); Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.

2.

Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.* 3.

Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.* 4.

At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science.

* There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations.

Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major.

OR B.

Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

To qualify for the 1301 series: EDUCATION: A.

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 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.

-AND- SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

To qualify at GS-15 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service.

Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Evaluating meteorological or hydrological forecasting, warning, or service programs to ensure the quality and accuracy of information or data; Communicating and collaborating with partners or stakeholders on weather warning and forecast programs and services; and Planning, evaluating or leading projects or teams such as assigning work, setting priorities, or providing feedback on work assignments.

Education This position has a positive Education Requirement.

You are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration.

If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

We may only consider documentation provided prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Please see degree and experience requirements in the Qualifications section.

Notes: An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements.

You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

Additional Information ICTAP and CTAP Candidates: Eligible for selection priority if it is determined that the applicant is well qualified.

Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: Copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; Copy of your SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: Copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).

Copy of your SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action, noting current position, grade level, and duty location; Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

NOAA participates in e-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

The Federal Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Required Skill Profession

Other General