Computer Scientist

Clarification from the agency

Open to all qualified U.S. citizens as well as individuals eligible for noncompetitive hiring authorities such as those that apply to veterans, individuals with disabilities, military spouses, Peace Corp volunteers, etc.

Duties

As a Computer Scientist within the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, some of your specific duties will include:

Applying advanced theories and principles of computation, programming languages and software engineering to architect and lead the development of custom software that addresses challenges faced by natural resource managers. Employing, and directing others in the deployment of various levels of software testing, including unit, integration, functional and usability testing, to validate code before committing to a shared version control repository. Independently designing and maintaining relational databases that support interactive data-driven applications. Maintaining thorough documentation of the progress and state of each project, as well as the rationale behind complex or unusual software engineering and design decisions, such that another team member could begin contributing to a project without significant difficulty. Translating product owner requirements into a formal software specification. Deploying custom-built software to workstations and web servers for use by product owners. Investigating new tools, technologies and programming languages that have potential to improve the development process and capabilities of the team.

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? 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 :

Applicants must meet the following to satisfy the basic education requirement for Computer Scientist, all grade levels. Bachelor's or higher degree in computer science or a bachelor's or higher degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus.

For GS-11:

In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:

Three full years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR: 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-09 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 may include performing hardware and software analysis, and writing software in an environment that requires a good working knowledge of the syntax, capabilities, and limitations of a programming language, as well as working knowledge of and experience with the operating system under which the software operates. Successful candidates will have had the scope of assignments defined for them, but will be capable of exercising judgment in selecting specific approaches and, when necessary, making minor changes to adapt the methods to specific work situations.

OR : a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE) .

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.

---