Senior Advisor for Coastal Modeling Science and Services

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Summary

The National Ocean Service (NOS) Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment. Integrated ocean information is available in near real time, as well as retrospectively. Easier and better access to this information is improving our ability to understand and predict coastal events – such as storms, wave heights, and sea level change.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all groups of Qualified Individuals/All-Sources (U.S. Citizens Only).

Duties

The Senior Advisor will be the principal scientific advisor on coastal modeling science, development, and policy to the IOOS Director, the NOS Executive Leadership and the NOAA. The Senior Advisor has the overall responsibility for ensuring all NOS coastal modeling related efforts are based on sound science principles, solid resource management and planning techniques, and are aligned to stakeholder requirements.

The Senior Advisor will:

  1. Champion efforts to improve the NOS coastal modeling vision, research science, and its application for forecasting, prediction, and other decision support tools.
  2. Oversee transition of physical and social science techniques into operations to improve coastal modeling prediction, projections and eventually leading to forecasting tools and techniques, and their use and application for decision-making.
  3. Coordinate efforts of NOAA and the interagency community on coastal modeling scientific operations to develop integrated plans for advancing science operations to meet critical national needs for improving coastal and marine forecasting systems.
  4. Consult with research and development program managers, and outreach and educational professionals, to advocate for improved coastal modeling services and ensure that proposed new services have adequate scientific basis.
  5. Monitor the progress of key internal science and service developments and cutting-edge external science research to ensure efficient program implementation.
  6. Provide guidance for the development and implementation of improved decision assistance and forecast preparation tools.
  7. Evaluate NOAA marine and coastal modeling products and services and provide recommendations for improvement and application for decision-makers at all levels.
  8. Serve as subject matter expert and liaison to inter-agency committees, academia, and private industry on coastal modeling research and science matters to advocate for NOAA research and operational program.
  9. Be principal NOS modeling lead for NOAA’s next generation strategic plan objectives to improve environmental predictions and projections and to improve resilience of coastal communities and economies. The position is responsible for coordinating across NOAA and representing NOS in updates of the NOAA Strategic Plan and the development of the Annual Guidance Memorandum.

DESIRED SCIENTIFIC QUALIFICATIONS

  1. The incumbent will have high levels of professional recognition from major organizations for expertise in coastal and/or marine modeling sciences, applied services, and operations. Examples of evidence for such high-level recognition may include selection for service as an Editor of major scholarly journals on coastal modeling, prediction, forecasting, and/or management science and service, awards received including Fellowship in national scientific organizations, or appointments on high-level agency, interagency, or international committees.
  2. The incumbent should have demonstrated scientific or services leadership at the NOAA, national, or international level. e.g., served as chair on high-level committees that are highly influential in shaping the direction of science and policy related to coastal modeling and associated decision support.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

To meet the minimum requirements for this position, candidates must demonstrate their experience in their narrative responses to the Mandatory Professional/Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) questions and all narrative responses must be fully supported within their resume.

Experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show that the candidate possesses the required professional/technical qualifications set forth below.

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.

Professional Technical Qualifications: Applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess technical attributes in the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

Key Requirements:

  1. Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
  2. Newly appointed SL members must serve a 1 year probationary period.
  3. Position is subject to pre-employment background investigation.
  4. Public Financial Disclosure (OGE-278 filing within 30 days is required).
  5. Position is subject to random drug testing.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must possess all of the mandatory Professional Technical Qualifications listed below. These qualifications would typically be acquired through education, experience, and training which reflect progressive development and achievement in managing a comprehensive business program in a complex organization. An individual’s total experience and education must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position. Applicants must meet all of the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Professional Technical Core Qualifications (PTQs):

PTQ 1 – Broad background in modeling science and/or engineering with experience in coastal modeling techniques, development, resources and operations, as well as modeling transition to operations techniques based on sound physical and social science principles. In-depth knowledge of the scientific advances, opportunities, strategies, and challenges in coastal modeling science and services.

PTQ 2 – Ability to apply broad physical and social science background to use and application of coastal observations to improve prediction and forecasting information, products, and services for coastal and marine modeling and coastal decision-making.

PTQ 3 – Ability to solicit and synthesize both scientific and user input from an extensively developed scientific and educational network spanning a wide spectrum of universities, agencies and organizations to inform and guide program development as well as using this network to educate, advise and champion for coastal modeling research and operational programs.

NOTE: Responses to PTQs must not exceed 2 pages per PTQ, for a total of 6 pages.

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.

Additional information

Background Investigation: This position is designated as Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmented Information and requires that a background investigation be conducted and favorably adjudicated in order to establish security eligibility.

Public Financial Disclosure: This position is covered under the Ethics in Government Act, which requires comprehensive financial disclosures from employees. The appointee will be required to file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278), within 30 days after his/her appointment, and then annually thereafter.

Qualifications Approval and Probationary Period: Persons newly selected for a career appointment to the Scientific and Professional (SL) will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. If an employee has completed their 1 full year probationary period requirement under the current position they were competitively selected for, and were selected for a SL appointment, they will not need to complete a new probationary period.

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required by P.L. 104-134 to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.

Drug Testing: Applicants tentatively selected for employment in any position are subject to designated and/or random pre-employment and employment urinalysis. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment and/or removed from employment with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Selective Service: Male applicants born after 12/31/1959, who are required to register with the Selective Service under section 3 of the Military Selective Service Act, must be registered (or must have registered at the time they were required to do so) in order to be eligible for appointment. For more information, visit the SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM web site at http://www.sss.gov/default.htm.

Veterans’ preference: Veterans’ preference applies to SL positions and will be applied accordingly: When category rating is used to fill a SL position, each veteran goes to the top of the quality category for which they are qualified. In practice, this means that veterans who qualify for the highest quality category will be the highest-ranked candidates.

False Statements: If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be fired after you begin work, or you may be subject to fine, imprisonment, or other disciplinary action.

SSN: You will be required to enter your full social security number (SSN) only to initially access and create an account at the OPM USAJOBS website; however, only the last four digits will appear in your resume. Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act – Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.

Signature: Before you are hired, you will be required to sign and certify the accuracy of the information in your application.

Application materials: The materials you send with your application will not be returned.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applicants are required to submit a narrative statement for each Professional/Technical Qualification (PTQ) listed. Please keep in mind each PTQ are unique qualifications. Therefore, duplicate responses are not sufficient in determining if you meet that specific qualification. Failure to submit a narrative statement or address any of the PTQs is also considered incomplete and WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. As a result, you will be rated as “INCOMPLETE”.

This category rating process does not add veteran’s preference points or apply the ‘rule of three’, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligible within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318 (b) are satisfied.

The servicing Human Resources Specialist will forward all minimally qualified applicants to be evaluated by an Executive Resources Board (ERB) rating panel of senior managers to determine the degree to which they possess the PTQs and best qualified candidates may undergo an interview and a reference check. The ERB rating panel will make recommendations on best qualified candidates to the appointing authority. Applicants will be evaluated on the quality and extent of their total accomplishments, experience and the PTQs.

Do not enter “Refer to Resume” to explain your answer. Applications directing the reader to search within the application or to “See Resume” are considered incomplete and WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Failure to submit a narrative statement or address any of the PTQs is also considered incomplete and WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. As a result, you will be rated as “INCOMPLETE”.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

  • Best Qualified
  • Well Qualified
  • Qualified

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify Eniko Csikos, the servicing Human Resources Specialist, either by e-mail at eniko.csikos@noaa.gov or by telephone at 301-427-2514 . The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users may contact us via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

Required Documents

Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

1. Resume
2. Transcripts (Official or Unofficial) from the institution’s registrar; dean or other appropriate official; or equivalent documentation which confirms completion of requirement for the required degree.

If you have completed any part of your education outside of the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. Please refer to https://sites.ed.gov/international/working-in-the-united-states/ for more information.

3. For current Federal employees: You are encouraged to submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that documents your current tenure, position title, series and grade level.

4. PTQ narrative responses should be attached under “Mandatory Technical Qualifications”.

5. Veterans: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility.

  • If applying to a vacancy opened to all US Citizens under category rating and wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
  • If claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
  • Veterans’ Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans’ preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx
  • Sole Survivorship Documentation: If you are applying under Sole Survivorship preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation which shows your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.

6. Displaced Employees: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the well qualified standards for this vacancy (meeting minimum requirements for position and scoring at least an 85) and provide all of the following documents:

  • your most recent performance appraisal,
  • the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and
  • your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade.

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee’s Guide to Career Transition.

Applicants who fail to submit requested documents and answer the mandatory questions WILL NOT receive consideration for this position. Application will result in an “Incomplete” rating.

If you are unable to upload documents, you may fax your documents using the instructions below. Please fax with the appropriate cover sheet. Please refer to the fax cover sheet for the fax number. Each document must be dialed and faxed in separately as each sheet includes an identification number, which ensures your document is processed correctly.

FAXING INSTRUCTIONS: Please fax legible documents using the appropriate cover sheet. Documents may be faxed at any time during the open period of this announcement by going to http://www.usajobs.opm.gov

1. Log into MYUSAJOBS
2. Click on “Applications”
3. Locate the vacancy you applied to
4. Under “Applicant Status” column, click on “More Information”
5. Select “View/Generate Fax Cover Sheet” and click “Continue”

Do not submit any additional information that is not required: Extraneous materials such as award certificates will not be considered.

If you do not have access to the internet, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement.

How to Apply

Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement.

To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USA JOBS 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 USA JOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.

To return to your saved application, log in to your USA JOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov and click on “Application Status.” Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue.

Your application and all supporting documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying on-line for this position will be able to apply until11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application.

If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please call 1-877-662-7730 Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (excluding Federal holidays) for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS.

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