Summary This position is located in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Regional Administrator's Office (RAO), with one vacancy, that can be filled in Portland, OR or Sacramento, CA. This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS WCR-24-12274193-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both. Responsibilities As a Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties: Identifies, evaluates, and manages habitat restoration projects with specific emphasis on projects that manipulate and/or manage water and sediment flow; evaluates hydrologic, hydraulic, and sediment transport data and models to provide recommendations for design and construction of habitat restoration projects. Collects, manages, evaluates & reports on marine commercial and recreational statistics. Note: The duties are at the full ZP-03 performance level and the ZP-02 is the developmental grade level leading to such performance. Requirements Conditions of Employment This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel Systems (CAPS). This system replace the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZP-02 is equivalent to the GS-07. NOTE: * A one year probationary period may be required. * Recruitment or Relocation Incentives may be authorized. * Relocation expenses are not authorized. * This position is not in the bargaining unit. Key Requirements: Must be a U.S. Citizen. 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 Qualification and Other Information. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov). Position requires driving a government vehicle for field work, movement of equipment and/or supplies between buildings, acquisition of supplies, or meetings at other locations. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license to operate a government vehicle. Must be able to walk through water in waders or go on a boat in a waterbody to survey and make observations of river channel morphology. Must be able to frequently bend, lift, and stoop to perform field work. 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. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive 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 your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: EDUCATION: A. Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included 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. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must meet: Specialized experience: To qualify at the ZP-02 (GS-07) grade level: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-01 (GS-05) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Planning, evaluating and reviewing hydrologic, hydraulics, sediment transport and dynamics, and disturbances with forestry and forest practices. Designing new approaches for data collection surveys & methodologies for compilation & distribution to provide quality information for fisheries management, conservation & development. OR I have one full year of graduate education leading to a degree from an accredited college or university in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position that would otherwise substitute for specialized experience. (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification). OR I have Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A): (1) Class Standing: Upper one-third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses. (2) Grade-Point Average: A grade point average of (a) 2.9 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on the official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B+ or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final two years of the curriculum. OR (3) Election to Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society.(NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification). OR I have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. Education College Transcript: 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. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: 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. 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 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: 1. 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). 2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; 3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. 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. Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents: 1. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action: you must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position. (do not submit an Award SF-50) AND, the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND. 2. Performance Appraisal - most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan that does not include this information. 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. The Department of the Commerce (DOC) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.