Computer Engineer/Electronics Engineer/Physical Scientist

Clarification from the agency

Open to all qualified U.S. citizens.

Duties

As an Earth Observation Capabilities Manager within the Earth Resources Observation Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

- Serves as the Branch senior technical manager for Earth Observing capabilities and technologies including sensors (optical, lidar, radar, etc.), systems (satellite, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), in-situ, etc.), and data sources (commercial, international, interagency, etc.).
- Advises leadership, program coordinators, and project managers on Earth Observing technical issues and associated impacts on Center, USGS, and national programs.
- Provides technical leadership to, participates in, and/or collaborates with national and international level Earth Observation/Remote Sensing committees, working groups, and programs.
- Responsible for providing technical leadership to project managers regarding Earth Observation technologies, remote sensing data, data sources, collection platforms, data interoperability, data calibration, and novel calibration techniques and methods.
- Responsible for creating task orders, statements of work, work breakdown structures, agreements (interagency, international, etc.), and provides input to contractor performance feedback.
- Responsible for managing cross-Center collaboration and integration regarding New Missions Branch development projects related to remote sensing systems, data interoperability, cross-calibration, calibration, and validation.
- Leads cross-Center coordination on current and future remote sensing data standards, including assessing impacts to the Center, assessing impacts of policy creation or modification, and developing adoption plans.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

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. Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position? Prior to appointment, the selectee will be required to take and pass, at Federal expense, a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use. From thereon, the individual may be subject to random drug testing. Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued. 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

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for 0854/0855 : Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Computer Engineer/Electronics Engineer, all grade levels. A. Degree: Professional Engineering. 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 differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first year physics and chemistry) in 5 of the following 7 areas of engineering science of physics: a) statics, 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); and g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics or electronics.

**OR

B. ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF QUALIFYING: In lieu of meeting the specific educational requirements listed above, applicants may substitute four years of 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. This knowledge and understanding must be equivalent to that provided by a full 4-year professional engineering curriculum. ***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, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration; or 2. Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional engineering registration; or (**NOTE: Applicants who have passed the EIT examination and have completed all the requirements for either (a) a bachelor's degree in engineering technology (BET) from an accredited college or university that included 60 semester hrs. of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, or (b) a BET from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET) may be rated eligible for certain engineering positions at GS-5. Eligibility is limited to positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of the engineering technology program. Applicants for positions that involve highly technical research, development, or similar functions requiring an advanced level of competence in basic science must meet the basic requirements specified in paragraph "A" above.) 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 "A" above: i.e., differential and integral calculus and courses in five of the seven areas of engineering science or physics as listed under "A" of the basic requirements above as (a) through (g). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in "A" above; or 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 you also have at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for 1301 : Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Physical Scientist, all grade levels.

A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

**OR

B. A combination of education and experience--education equivalent to one of the majors shown in "A" above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science, engineering, or mathematics) that included at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science as described above, plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above.

For GS-14:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-14 level:

One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Examples of such experience: Earth Observation (EO) satellite data sources (government, commercial, international), remote sensing technologies, and remote sensing systems (satellite and uncrewed aerial systems); assessing capabilities and technical risks of remote sensing technologies/systems; knowledge of EO data calibration and cross-calibration techniques; experience with Landsat series of satellites and sensors and/or participation as a member of a satellite mission development team; participating as a leader or member of national and/or international working groups related to EO satellites and imagery; presenting briefings before technical and non-technical audiences, negotiating with others to reach agreement or consensus and/or exchanging information with the private sector or general public.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

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.

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