Scientific Programmer (Computer Scientist)

Summary This vacancy is for a Scientific Programmer (Computer Scientist) in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration within the Department of Commerce. Duties As a Scientific Programmer (Computer Scientist), you will: Implement complex mathematical telecom and propagation modeling algorithms; and develop, validate, verify, test, and document software solutions. Lead team-based projects that include software development, algorithm implementations, numerical analysis and research, and computer science methods and techniques. Research problems arising from the use of digital computers. Perform research and analysis to verify, validate, debug, troubleshoot, and test software implementations. Give oral presentations to explain project development efforts. Reports project results to both technical and non-technical audiences using tact and persuasion, responding appropriately to questions. Generate written reports to explain research developments of digital computer systems. Evaluate results and prepare report findings of new methods and techniques to store, manipulate, transform or present information by means of digital computer systems. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Scientific Programmer (Computer Scientist) ZP-1550-4, FPL: 4 positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience. This position is also being advertised under the following vacancies: NTIA-ITS-DE-26-12892179 (Band 3 Delegated Examining) NTIA-ITS-ST-26-12892181 (Band 3 Merit Promotion) NTIA-ITS-ST-26-12892182 (Band 4 Merit Promotion) You must apply to ALL announcements individually if you want to be considered for ALL. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs. A 3-year probationary period may be required. Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/). If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. Bargaining Unit Position: No Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): No Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: will not be paid License required: No Drug Test Required: No Recruitment Incentive may be offered (New Federal employees only) up to $10,000 Relocation Incentive may be offered (Current Federal employees only) up to $10,000 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-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Occupational-Series 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. 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. This position is being filled under the Department of Commerce Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career path and pay band. The ZP-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14 grade levels. To qualify at the ZP-4, applicants must meet A and B below: A. BASIC REQUIREMENT: A bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's 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. All academic and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. AND B. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 or ZP-3 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: At least 52 weeks of software development experience to create and improve software solutions AND at least 52 weeks creating scientific software programs (for example, metrics, data intensive workloads, algorithms, modeling, data mining, forecasting, optimization, simulations, statistical analysis, numerical analysis, numerical methods, machine learning (ML), artificial Intelligence (AI), signal processing, image/audio/video processing) AND 52 weeks leading teams or projects. Education There is a positive education requirement for this position. This position requires proof of higher education. See Qualifications Above. Additionally, if you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. NOTE: Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries 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. 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 when requested will result in lost consideration. Additional information The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that do not fall under competitive examining procedures; however, they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Military Spouse Non-Competitive Hiring Authority ICTAP and CTAP Eligibles: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible 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 Military Spouse The spouse of a member of the armed forces seeking eligibility under the non-competitive hiring authority of certain military spouse MUST submit various required documentation by the closing date of the announcement in accordance with one of the three below eligibilities: 1.) Spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty, 2.) Spouse of service member who incurred a 100% disability, or 3.) Un-remarried widow or widower of a service member killed while performing active duty. Please review the "Required Documents" Section for specific documents pertaining to each of the above eligibilities that MUST be included with your application, if you are applying as a Military Spouse. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.