Physical Scientist

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Oil Spill Preparedness Division, Gulf of America Section, Jefferson, LA.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/14/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position, you must meet at least one of the following basic education requirements:

• Degree: 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. You must submit transcripts.
  
  -OR-
• Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown 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 the basic education requirements described above, applicants must also possess one of the below minimum qualifications requirements to qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in ALL of the following:
  1) performing observations, computations, compilations and analyses to assist higher-level scientists in carrying out physical science assignments;
  2) applying basic physical science principles and standard operating procedures; AND
  3) preparing technical reports with recommendations. You must include hours per week worked.
• Education: Successful completion of at least two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
  
  NOTE:
  
  You must include a copy of your transcripts.
• Combination of education and experience: To combine education and experience, only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level. For example, six (6) months of the specialized experience (50% of experience), and 27 semester hours of directly-related graduate level college study in an accredited institution (50% of education) would qualify. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.
  
  You must include transcripts.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.