Summary This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) with one vacancy in Seattle, WA. This position is also announced under vacancy number OAR PMEL-24-12441126-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both. Responsibilities As a Physical Science Technician, you will perform the following duties: Serve as a senior Physical Science Technician in the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) for all phases of a long-term oceanography observing and analysis program. Develop, test, install, calibrate, procure, and maintain a variety of complex observing systems, equipment, or instruments located on buoys and other autonomous platforms serving the PMEL moored and autonomous carbon group and are used in the conduct of mission objectives. Provide technical guidance to other technicians and train new team members in all standard operating principles and procedures. Develop strategies for modifying and adapting existing equipment to meet the specialized needs of studies. Perform assessment approaches to ensure proper function of equipment and/or to diagnose any malfunction. Adjust and/or initiate necessary work for repairs. Manage an equipment pool; build, refurbish, and test moored and autonomous surface vehicle carbon dioxide systems and components for the systems. Maintain all documentation such as calibration logs, operating procedures, manuals, blueprints schematics, and property hand receipts. Initiate procurement as necessary for parts, tools, or additional equipment. Coordinate design tasks, assemble prototype systems, and test such systems for applicability and reliability. Assemble and improve on system design as required and perform final evaluation of systems and test results. Evaluate, recommend, and/or acquire competitive models of such equipment. Requirements 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 ZT-4 is equivalent to the GS-11/12. NOTE: *A one year probationary period may be required. *Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized. *This position is not in the bargaining unit. Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Payment of relocation incentives OR recruitment incentives may be authorized. Note: Relocation incentives are for current federal employees only. 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. 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 EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) 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 ZT-4 or GS-11 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZT-3 or GS-10 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Participating in building or installing oceanographic or other environmental sensors; Maintaining and calibrating oceanographic or other environmental observing equipment such as buoys or other autonomous platforms; Providing technical documentation support such as maintaining calibration logs, preparing operating procedures/manuals, or preparing data reports; and Participating in testing oceanographic or other environmental sensors or equipment to ensure reliability. Education There is no education requirement/substitution for this position. Additional Information CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority 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: Employee Guide to Career Transition CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A 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). A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 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; 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; A 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. 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.