Summary
This vacancy is for a Computer Scientist in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration within the Department of Commerce.
Responsibilities
As a Computer Scientist, you will perform the following duties: Uses a variety of software languages to independently design and develop software solutions to solve complex telecommunication research problems that implement mathematical models, statistical methods, numerical analysis, and technical algorithms. Verifies, validates, debugs, troubleshoots, and tests software implementations. Creates test plans, test scripts, requirements specifications, status updates, system architecture diagrams, and design documents. Analyzes project results and effectively participates in internal and external meetings with leadership, colleagues, and sponsors. Reports project results to both technical and non-technical audiences using tact and persuasion, responding appropriately to questions. Authors or co-authors sponsor reports, conference papers, technical reports, user guides, test analysis reports, software design/architecture documents, public code release documentation, and systems analysis reports. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Computer Scientist ZP-1550-3, FPL 4 positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location or local commuting area with the same qualifications and specialized experience. This position is also advertised under NTIA-ITS-DE-26-13077101, which is open to Delegated Examining eligible applicants. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.
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-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12 grade levels. To qualify at the ZP-3, 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-09 or ZP-2 (or equivalent band) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Software development experience to create and improve software solutions; AND 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). SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in computer science or field directly related to the position. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.
Requirements
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 or possession of drugs. A 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 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 Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.
Education
There is a positive education requirement for this position. This position requires proof of higher education. See Qualifications Above. 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.
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.