Research Physical Scientist

Research Physical Scientist

Department: Department of Commerce

Location(s): Boulder, Colorado, Miami, Florida, Silver Spring, Maryland, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Seattle, Washington

Salary Range: $79533 - $187093 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) with vacancies in the following locations: Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), Miami, FL. Global Systems Lab (GSL) and Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL), Boulder, CO. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), Ann Arbor, MI. Pacific Marine Environmental Lab (PMEL), Seattle, WA. Silver Spring, MD.

Major Duties:

• As a Research Physical Scientist, duties may include one or more of the following, and are not limited to: Apply knowledge of oceanic or atmospheric processes, observations, technologies, data assimilation or modeling to enable understanding of ocean/atmosphere variability, change and improvement in ocean and atmospheric prediction and forecasting. Lead theoretical and experimental research for advanced earth system or weather forecasting technologies. Develop earth system, ocean, or weather forecast models (dynamic core) and data assimilation software codes for massively parallel supercomputers across heterogeneous environments including on-premise and cloud platforms. Use of AI/ML (e.g. large language models) and novel computer architectures to further exascale needs of next-generation earth system prediction models including high-resolution and ensemble forecast applications. Serve as an expert advisor to senior level management and manage several organizational projects. Lead the development of competitive research proposals across multiple labs and partners including software development for earth system prediction for exascale applications. Promote scientific and technology research through domestic and international collaborations and working groups. Work in teams across multiple labs and partners to present research findings at significant scientific conferences and workshops. Formulate recommendations and provide advice to managers. Communicate scientific and technical information verbally and in writing to stakeholders, members of the public and other individuals and groups. NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZP-4; the ZP-3 is developmental leading to such performance. This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. 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: 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/ BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: To qualify for the 1301 series: EDUCATION: A. 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. OR B. Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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. 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. To qualify at the ZP-3 or GS-11 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Assisting in research to support forecasting or numerical modeling or observations; and Assisting in developing or testing computer coding or software. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and professional experience. Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. (NOTE: Only graduate-level education in excess of one year is qualifying for combination of education and experience.) To qualify at the ZP-4 or GS-13 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Leading, conducting or overseeing research to support forecasting or numerical modeling or observations; Utilizing computer programming languages or software to develop products or services; and Communicating and collaborating with scientific research communities or partners.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the blue "Apply Online" button. If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. Check the "Certification" box and click the "Apply for this position now!" button located at the bottom of the screen. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-25