Summary This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Mission Support Positions (STRL) to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: This is a Flexible Renewable TERM appointment NTE 2 years which may be extended or renewed indefinitely. Contingent to specific conditions there may be an opportunity to be converted to a career-conditional or career appointment at a later date. Responsibilities Conducting basic research, applied research or experimental development activities that range from extending knowledge and understanding to evolving new or improved products, processes, and techniques. Utilizing complex equipment, emerging technologies, scientific phenomena, and or exceptionally difficult research obstacles to progress, or project assignments involving major programs or operations. Performing research, development, systems and program analysis of new equipment, material, projects, or concepts. Conducting research and or producing publications and papers that produce theories, principles, and explanations of phenomena and application of theories and principles. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement- Engineering: A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or 2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) 2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.) Basic Requirement - Physical Scientist:A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in 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: Courses equivalent to one of the majors, as 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. Basic Requirement - Operations Research Analyst: Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in operations research; or a degree with at least 24 semester hours in a combination of operations research, mathematics, probability, statistics, mathematical logic, science, or subject-matter courses requiring substantial competence in college-level mathematics or statistics. At least 3 of the 24 semester hours must have been in calculus. In addition to meeting ONE of the Basic Requirements above, you must also meet the requirements below: Specialized Experience Requirements for DB-03 (GS-12/14): One year of specialized experience equivalent to the DB-02/GS-11 pay band in the Federal service which includes: 1) Planning and conducting systematic studies related to the exploration, conceptualization, fabrication, automation and refinement of new polymeric materials and systems for food packaging applications research. 2) Planning and conducting systematic studies related to the development and evaluation of experimental, high performance synthetic fibers and films. 3) Developing new research techniques as well as designs systems to work on specific problem areas. And 4) Conducting research studies including laboratory and field experiments that involve the research, development, and evaluation of polymeric materials as they relate to food packaging components. Education Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using education and experience. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications **NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED even if you are a current federal employee.*** Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html Additional Information Direct Deposit of Pay is required. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter. This is a Career Program (CP) 16 - Engineering and Scientist position. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest. This position is a term position NTE 2 years and may be extended or indefinitely renewed. This position may be converted to permanent career or career-conditional appointment without further competition based on the needs of the organization. To be eligible for conversion, employee must complete at least 2 years of current continuous service under a term appointment in the competitive service AND employee must have a current performance rating under such term appointment of at least fully successful or equivalent.