Education Specialist

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Summary

This position is located within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) with 1 vacancy located in Pago Pago, AS.

This position is also announced under vacancy number NOS ONMS-24-12545456-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Clarification from the agency

VEOA, VRA, 30% Disabled. Current or former employees at a land management agency who were initially hired under competitive procedures in a time-limited appointment. Schedule A.

Duties

As an Education Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Develop, manage and implement sanctuary-site management plans and educational programs for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa Tauese P.F Sunia Ocean Center. Assist in implementing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) requirements under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (America COMPETES) Act.
  • Foster an environment of shared goals and enhanced productivity with partner institutions. Coordinate site education efforts, communicating across regional sanctuary sites, National Ocean Service (NOS), NOAA, and stakeholder partners. Establish long and short-range education and outreach goals and objectives for the ONMS education program at headquarters and sanctuary sites, including specific action plans to meet office-wide strategic milestones. Manage, assess, and recommend actions to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ (ONMS) education team activities and programs and Kindergarten through 12th grade programs. Provide recommendations and reports for office-level leadership that assess and evaluate the most effective educational tools for ONMS priorities.
  • Manage, develop, coordinate, conduct, and evaluate teacher lesson plans and student activities that enhance learning and advancement of marine science education. Incorporate climate change and ocean acidification into educational programming. Train teachers and partner educator and students in formal and informal settings. Teach Robotics Operate Vehicle (ROV) in schools and the community to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Conduct routine maintenance on the Science on a Sphere, and install software updates to ensure operability and optimum performance. Resolve network and connectivity issues, set up projectors and telecoms for public meetings, and maintain the Science on a Sphere, a room-sized, global display system that projects visualizations of planetary data onto a six-foot diameter sphere to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages.
  • Develop, coordinate, conduct, and evaluate sanctuary education and outreach events and products that are part of the ONMS education program. Coordinate volunteer and intern program activities.

NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZA-4; the ZA-3 is developmental leading to such performance.

Conditions of Employment

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band.

The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12.
The ZA-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14

NOTES:
*A one year probationary period may be required.
*Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.
*Payment of recruitment incentives may be authorized.
*This position is not in the bargaining unit.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This position has physical requirements. Must be able to stand for long periods (1-2 hours) at public speaking events and in front of students in a classroom setting. Must be able to carry books, supplies, and equipment weighing up to 40 lbs.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: This position requires the operation of a Federal motor vehicle. Requires the operation of a Federal motor vehicle to attend special events, transport sanctuary supplies and facilitate local travel.

Key Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  3. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
  4. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  5. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  6. Selectee must provide a valid state driver’s license & safe driving record.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant’s successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • 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.
  • If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

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.

To qualify for the 1701 series:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position requires applicants to meet the Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of specialized experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with an application package. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements:

Degree: A degree that included or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in A above.

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 the ZA-3 or GS-11:

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 ZA-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

– Participating in the coordination or implementation of educational events; and
– Participating in the distribution of outreach information or education material through different communication methods (i.e. social media, websites, brochures, virtual learning, in-person learning, etc.).-OR-

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

-OR-

Combination of education and professional experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. (Note: Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.)

To qualify at the ZA-4 or GS-13 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

– Coordinating or implementing of educational events;
– Developing or distributing of outreach information or education material through different communication methods (i.e. social media, websites, brochures, virtual learning, in-person learning, etc.); and
– Developing, assessing or recommending actions to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of an educational science program’s processes and procedures.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Applicant must have skill in Samoan speaking, reading, and writing for specific local audiences and site constituents.

*NOTE ABOUT INTERVIEW: Applicant must have skill in Samoan speaking, reading, and writing for specific local audiences and site constituents. During the interview process, the applicant will be asked to demonstrate their ability to speak, read, and write in Samoan.

Education

  • College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. 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.

    Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. 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

Transcripts–If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, 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. Please ensure that all documentation is legible.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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 (Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, 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.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

  • Communications and Media
  • Customer Service
  • Education and Training
  • Project Management

NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible and/or not qualified.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12545457

Required Documents

Required documents may be: (1) uploaded directly from your desktop; or (2) uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments.

  • A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please see this guidance: What to include in your resume
  • You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose, for each work experience at a minimum, your resume must include; job title(s) (including job series and grade, if federal); description of duties or work performed; education; starting and ending dates (month and year); and hours worked per week and/or full-time or part-time. If identifying as part-time you must state the number of hours per week. (NOTE: A full-time work schedule requires most employees to work 33-40 hours during the work week. A part-time schedule requires an employee to work less than full-time, but for a specific number of hours (usually 16-32 hours per administrative work week) on a prearranged scheduled tour of duty.)
  • SF-50, “Notification of Personnel Action: If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series and grade (do not submit an Award SF-50). Also provide the SF-50 that reflects the highest grade level held on a permanent basis or the full performance level of your current position, whichever is higher. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.
  • Veteran’s documentation: If you are requesting consideration under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) 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) and/or any other required supporting documents (VA Letter). For more information, please click here.
  • 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.
  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation if applicable (see other information).
  • Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment, (severely disabled, eligible veterans, certain military spouses, etc.)
  • 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.

OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS:

  • Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager.
    • Performance Appraisal – Submit the most recent performance appraisal (dated within the last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor. Do not submit a performance plan that does not include this information.
    • Awards – Copies of any award received within the last 3 years.
  • Applicants may submit these documents during the application process.

How to Apply

Applications (resume and application questions) for this vacancy must be received on-line via USAJOBS by 11:59pm Eastern Time(ET) (Washington, D.C. time) on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online resume, you will not be considered for this position. Requests for extensions will not be granted. If applying online poses a hardship for you, you must speak to someone in the Servicing Human Resources Office listed on this announcement PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE for assistance.

Instructions for Applying Online for this Vacancy Announcement:

1)Click the blue “Apply Online” button.2)If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile.3)As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application.4)Check the “Certification” box and click the “Apply for this position now!” button located at the bottom of the screen.5)Address the eligibility questions as well as the questionnaire containing questions and/or task statements that address the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies for this vacancy.6)Submit required documents using one of the available methods listed below.7) If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk.

To apply for this job please visit www.usajobs.gov.