Ocean Career: NOAA Oceanographer​/Physical Scientist​/Geophysicist

Oceanographer/Physical Scientist/Geophysicist

As an Oceanographer/Physical Scientist/Geophysicist, you will perform the following duties:

• Serve as Shift Lead at the Tsunami Warning Center as part of a tsunami and earthquake investigation team. Function as the final decision-maker for the scientific analysis, alert-levels, and dissemination of products during events. Make decisions based on calculations, and interpretations derived from available geophysical and oceanographic data. Utilize interactive and automatic tools to locate an earthquake, determine magnitude, evaluate its tsunami generation potential, and run and assess tsunami forecast models.
• Perform operational support related to science and technology transfer and conduct applied research. Evaluate new scientific and technological information and tools to apply to increase the effectiveness of tsunami warnings. Function as a technical liaison with academic or governmental institutions to effect beneficial science and technology transfer. Conduct applied research where theories and conceptual models are tested against data to evaluate their applicability to tsunami warning operations.
• Participate in national and international interactions on tsunami related topics and issues. Interact with participants of the Tsunami Warning Systems on both national and international levels. Communicate with domestic and international agencies and governments. Prepare and present technical and scientific papers for exchanging scientific and operational information.
• Conduct outreach and staff training. Provide briefings at local schools, community meetings, tsunami training programs, and to partners and the public e part in staff training activities on operational procedures and software, science and technology, and maintenance of skills.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
This position may be filled with series 1301 (General Physical Science) / 1313 (Geophysics) / 1360 (Oceanography). Each series requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements:

To qualify for the 1360 series:

OR

Applicants who qualify on the basis of major study in biology or geology must have had at least 6 semester hours in the major directly concerned with marine science or 6 semester hours in oceanography; applicants who qualify on the basis of other physical sciences or engineering must have had differential and integral calculus and at least 6 semester hours in physics.

To qualify for the 1301 series:

OR

To qualify for the 1313 series:

OR

-AND-

SPECIALIZED

EXPERIENCE:

Applicants must possess one year 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.

To qualify at the GS-14 level:

• Analyzing geophysical and oceanographic data for the evaluation of earthquakes or tsunami potential;
• Utilizing tsunami forecast models to determine tsunami impacts and issue warnings; and
• Conducting public outreach or coordinating with partners to improve warning operations.

Final date to receive applications:
September 2, 2026

Salary range: $131,310 – $170,708 per year