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DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Learn more about this agency01/29/2021 to 02/22/2021
$64,649 - $134,798 per year
For salary details, please see below in Responsibilities section.
GS 11 - 13
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-Time
Competitive
13
No
Yes
BOEM-MMGG-21-KN-034(DH)
590752000
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
All U.S. Citizens
The mission of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is to manage ocean energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in a manner that balances energy independence, economic development, and environmental protection. Energy resources on the OCS include oil and natural gas, as well as sources of renewable energy. Marine mineral resources include sand, gravel, and other non-energy minerals.
For each major stage of offshore energy and mineral planning and development, BOEM conducts reviews under a suite of environmental laws (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)). These reviews and related public engagement help inform the Bureau's decisions on conventional and renewable energy exploration, leasing and development activities, as well as marine mineral activities for coastal restoration projects. Additionally, BOEM's scientists oversee environmental studies to ensure the best available information is used to inform decision- making.
To comply with these environmental laws, BOEM must assess the potential impacts of human-made noise (created by a number of BOEM activities) on marine species in the OCS. In order to better understand and analyze the impacts of these anthropogenic noises, BOEM established the Center for Marine Acoustics (CMA), which includes capabilities for developing and running underwater acoustic models, creating technical content for environmental risk assessments, supporting policy, and outreach with stakeholders.
The incumbent serves as a Marine Mammal Bioacoustician in the Office of Environmental Programs (OEP), Division of Environmental Assessment (DEA).
At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:
1. Uses expertise in scientific discipline and analytical techniques to author or review technical documents related to bioacoustics or performs specialized analyses on impacts of human-made noise on marine species, particularly marine mammals.
2. Prepares, or assists in preparing documents, Departmental and Bureau correspondence, and briefing materials concerning bioacoustic issues, including those related to decisions, public or stakeholder inquiries, and or congressional requests. Presents to Bureau and Departmental leadership.
3. Recommends solutions to analytical, policy, and scientific issues to meet and continually improve compliance with laws, regulations, and Departmental/Bureau policies.
4. Recommends field, laboratory, modeling, and/or synthesis studies necessary to adequately assess the environmental impacts from OCS activities.
5. Coordinates procurement of environmental studies and manages contractual agreements as Contracting Officer Representative. Prepares and reviews statements of work, procurement packages (including government cost-estimates) and evaluates proposals for technical adequacy, programmatic consistency, and cost-effectiveness.
6. Forms and maintains constructive working relationships with other Regional/Program Offices and Interior bureaus. Liaises with other stakeholders on issues concerning BOEM decision-making, rulemaking, and other aspects of OCS activities dealing with environmental issues and assessment.
7. Represents the findings of BOEM's environmental analysis and research to the public, key stakeholders, and other experts at meetings.
Salary Range Information:
Sterling, VA
GS-11: $72,750 - $94,581 Per annum.
GS-12: $87,198 - $113,362 Per annum.
GS-13: $103,690 - $134,798 Per annum.
Jefferson, LA
GS-11: $64,649 - $84,049 Per annum.
GS-12: $77,488 - $100,739 Per annum.
GS-13: $92,143 - $119,787 Per annum.
Anchorage, AK
GS-11: $72,299 - $93,994 Per annum.
GS-12: $86,657 - $112,659 Per annum.
GS-13: $103,046 - $133,961 Per annum.
*First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.
This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series/grade to which you are applying.
(1) Basic Educational Requirements:
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:
Biologist- 0401:
A. Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
-OR-
B. Combination of education and experience: Appropriate combination of education and experience that is equivalent to a major, as shown in "A" above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
(2) Specialized Experience
GS-11
To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must have at least one FULL year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. For this position, GS-11 specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in marine mammal bioacoustics, specifically animal hearing, vocalizations and passive acoustic monitoring for these species AND at least ONE of the following: 1) conducting, analyzing, and writing up research and technical documents in the field of marine mammal biology, ecology, behavior, and/or acoustics, 2) working with Individual-Based models to simulate the movement of marine mammals through the environment, 3) working with Population Consequences of Disturbance models, 4) assisting with environmental assessments regarding the impacts of man-made noise on marine mammals, or 5) analyzing datasets using statistical packages such as Matlab or R.
-OR-
Education: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
-OR-
Combination of education and experience: ?Possess a combination of post high school education and experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.
GS-12 (Please note, education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-12 grade level)
To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, you must have at least one FULL year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. For this position, GS-12 specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in marine mammal bioacoustics, specifically animal hearing, vocalizations and passive acoustic monitoring for these species AND at least TWO of the following: 1) conducting, analyzing, and writing up research and technical documents in the field of marine mammal biology, ecology, behavior, and/or acoustics, 2) working with Individual-Based models to simulate the movement of marine mammals through the environment, 3) working with Population Consequences of Disturbance models, 4) assisting with environmental assessments regarding the impacts of man-made noise on marine mammals, or 5) analyzing datasets using statistical packages such as Matlab or R.
GS-13 (Please note, education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-13 grade level)
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must have at least one FULL year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. For this position, GS-13 specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in marine mammal bioacoustics, specifically animal hearing, vocalizations and passive acoustic monitoring for these species AND at least THREE of the following: 1) conducting, analyzing, and writing up research and technical documents in the field of marine mammal biology, ecology, behavior, and/or acoustics, 2) working with Individual-Based models to simulate the movement of marine mammals through the environment, 3) working with Population Consequences of Disturbance models, 4) assisting with environmental assessments regarding the impacts of man-made noise on marine mammals, or 5) analyzing datasets using statistical packages such as Matlab or R.
Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.
Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4
Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.
NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/How_to_create_your_resume
Your application package must include: (1) Resume showing relevant experience as written in your own words; (2) Completed online Assessment Questionnaire; (3) College transcript (if applicable) for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; (4) Certificates, license, etc. (if applicable); (5) Form DD-214 OR VA letter and Standard Form 15.
You will find additional information on the following topics: (1) e-Verify; (2) Selective Service; (3) CTAP/ICTAP; (4) Education - accreditation; (5) Foreign education; (6) Veterans preference; (7) Special appointing authority documentation; and more can be found on our web site: https://www.bsee.gov/careers/usajobs-assistance OR http://www.boem.gov/USAJobs-Assistance/ .
If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit proof by the closing date of the announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. The proof includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty station. To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, you must earn a minimum score of 85 or above (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference) on the rating criteria for this position.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment from USAJobs that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line assessment questionnaire, resume and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJobs account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/590752000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.
