*All qualified United States Citizens or Nationals Permanent Full-Time Career/Career Conditional http://www.noaa.gov NESDIS is looking for good people to manage our world-class operations. Our Satellites monitor US and global weather conditions and we also have three world-class data centers. The data from NESDIS satellites help save lives and resources. Come be a part of NESDIS! This position is working for the **National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data & Information Service** as an Electronics Engineer. You will prepare and analyze engineering studies relating to radio equipment design, interference, and various regulatory and legislative proposals in relation to the use of radio spectrum elements for the Department of Commerce.
**NOTE:** This position is also announced under vacancy number _**NESDIS-2014-0024**_ (MAP), which is open to status candidates. _You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both._
* A one year probationary period may be required.
* This position is not in the bargaining unit.
* Relocation and/or recruitment incentives are not authorized.
* A pre-employment drug test and random drug testing throughout the duration of employment is required.
* Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret, SCI security clearance.
* The submission of a Financial Disclosure Form, SF450 is required.
**NOTE:** *This vacancy may be used to fill other _**Electronics Engineer, ZP-0855-05**_ positions throughout NOAA. The position must be alike (e.g.: within the same geographic locations, same grade/band, requires the same qualifications as indicated in this vacancy announcement.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply. Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check. Must be suitable for Federal employment. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov). Must meet qualifications by closing date of this announcement. The individual selected for this position will:
* Analyze, design, implement, optimize, and enhance the satellite systems and neighboring radio frequency operations.
* Plan radio frequency coverage and site identification.
* Devise methods, procedures, and approaches which have agency-wide influence in his/her area of expertise and in related areas.
* Represent the activity/organization in reaching engineering compromises and agreements with engineers of other organizations and contractors.
* Act as the technical authority in the preparation and publication of advanced scientific findings and guidelines that are made available to other technical and scientific groups and agencies.
* Plan and coordinate programs or projects which require innovation and originality.
* Review, evaluate, and advise on the effectivenes, technical adequacy and suitability of the work and proposals of other engineers in resolving complicated and critical problems in their specialized area.
* Serve as a consultant to engineers and managers outside of the immediate organization on unusually difficult and controversial matters where the opinion of an engineer or high repute and unquestioned competence is considered vital.
* Represent the interests of the Radio Frequency (RF) satellite operations in domestic and international venues.
**In addition to meeting the basic education requirement**, applicants must possess one year of progressively responsible specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, & abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be qualifying, it must have been comparable in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position.
**For ZP-05 (GS-15) grade level:** One year of specialized experience comparable or equivalent to the **ZP-04 (GS-13/14)** level of difficulty. This experience need not have been gained in the federal government:
Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
* Developing electromagnetic interference mitigation measurement plans and techniques;
* Leading projects and programs to develop and present studies, technical analyses reports, position papers, test plans, and test reports for program leaders, managers, and regulatory committees and;
* Providing guidance and assistance to program leaders with activities relating to radio frequency allocation.
We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." However, your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the self-assessment questions, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job.
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:
* Knowledge and experience working domestic and international groups dealing with Radio-frequency (RF) management, such as the Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC), International Telecommunications Union-Radio communication (ITU-R), World Radio Conference (WRC), and other ad hoc working and study groups.
* Knowledge and experience in federal radio regulations, technical standards, and policies, and RF engineering principles, including electromagnetic propagation, electromagnetic compatibility, and interference mitigation techniques for radio-frequency equipment.
* Knowledge and experience in RF applications and equipment design principles for telecommunications networks and radio communications equipment; meteorological, hydrological and remote sensing equipment; and telemetry and data links.
* Knowledge and experience in IT and communication network principles used for RF communications.
* Knowledge and experience in application and use of RF test equipment for laboratory and field measurement using standard and innovative measurement techniques.
Please do not respond to these KSAs separately. Your responses to the vacancy questions serve as your responses to the KSAs listed above. For more information on category rating, please go to: Category Rating.
**To preview questions please click here.** Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification Standards, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on OPM's website at: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
***This position has a positive education requirement.** Transcripts MUST be provided at the time of application for you to be considered for this vacancy. Failure to submit unofficial transcripts at the time of application will render you ineligible for further consideration.
**BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:**
A. **A degree in professional engineering** (not engineering technology). To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include both differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics or chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: a) statistics, 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); g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
**OR**
B. **A 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 professional 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 - Current registration as a professional engineer by any State, District of Columbia, Guam or Puerto Rico.
2. Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration, which is administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners 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 in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in paragraph A.
4. Related Curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance, 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).
**Foreign Education:** To receive credit for education completed outside the United States you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents. To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or by phone at 866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.
For instructions on submitting your application in another format, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed in this vacancy announcement.
* **Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional**. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must include information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: job title, duration of employment (mm/dd/yy – mm/dd/yy), hours per week, duties and accomplishments, salary, and your education. For work in the Federal service, please include the grade level for the position/s. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire.
* **If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference,** you must submit a copy of your Member 4 DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service or other valid proof of eligibility (i.e., statement of service that shows service dates AND character of service). **If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference,** you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" **plus the proof required by that form.** For more information on veterans' preference seehttp://www.opm.gov/staffingPortal/Vetguide.asp#VeteransEmploymentAct1998.
* **Active Duty Service Members--** You must submit a statement of discharge/certification of release or an official written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days from the date the announcement closes. Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do NOT qualify as official documentation. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm the discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not be considered for this job opportunity under Veteran Preference procedures. To gain access to your DD-214 online please visit http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html
* **Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation**if applicable (see other information).
* **Education.** If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov and clicking on “Track Your Online Application.” The four points of notification are:
1. Application Received or Application Incomplete
2. Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Not Met;
3. Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Eligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and
4. Selected or Not Selected.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans’ preference, disability, etc.). ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management’s Career Transition Resources website at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
1. A 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;
2. A 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;
3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
NOAA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is 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.
https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits