Announcement Number: NMF-AKC-2005-0044
Vacancy Description: Statistician (Biology)
Open Period: 06/03/2005 - 07/08/2005
Series/Grade: GS-1530-13
Salary: $75,136.00 TO $97,674.00
Promotion Potential: GS-13
Hiring Agency: NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Duty Locations: 1 vacancy in Seattle, WA
For more information, Contact: Janet Norem, 206-526-6887
janet.m.norem@noaa.gov
Additional Information
Who May Apply:
All qualified U.S. citizens and current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the
competitive service, former Federal employees with reinstatement rights, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, & applicants eligible under
special authorities.
Job Summary:
National Marine Fisheries Service is dedicated to stewardship of our nation's living marine resources and habitat through
scientific research, management and enforcement. NMFS provides effective stewardship to benefit the nation through
domestic and international programs supporting coastal communities that depend upon the resources, while providing
safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities.
This is a term position NTE 3 years but may be extended up to the maximum 4 year period.
This position is located in the National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine
Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Ecosystems Program, Seattle, Washington. The employee may be required to work at
remote field sites or on ships for periods of up to one month at a time. The employee must be physically fit for field
work in remote locations, where the work environment can be extreme, demanding excellent physical conditioning
and health. Must be able to work in isolated areas on rough terrain and in small boats in rough seas. The employee
must be able to lift and carry research equipment weighing up to 50 lbs and to assist with the capture and handling
of agressive, wild animals. Field work may require long hours under severe environmental conditions. Must be able
to live and function away from cities and family for up to 2 months per year. While in the field, the employee must live
in a social group of peers and contribute equally to housekeeping duties (cooking, cleaning, etc.) or ship-based chores
(typing up gear, hauling equipment, etc.). The incumbent must conduct him/herself in a manner to maintain and foster
a positive social atmosphere in the group. Employee will be expected to participate in training such as EEO, preventing
sexual harassment, basic first aid and CPR, and small boat usage.
This position requires the completion of additional forms and/or the submission of supplemental materials. Please
thoroughly review the vacancy announcement and carefully follow all instructions. Failure to provide the required
information and/or materials may result in you not being considered for the vacancy.
Key Requirements:
* Position has physical requirements.
* Work at remote field sites or on ships up to one month at a time.
* Work in remote locations under severe environmental conditions.
* Assist with the capture and handling of aggressive, wild animals.
* Relocation expenses are authorized.
* Must be able to lift loads in excess of 50 lbs.
Position Information:
Competitive Service Term Position NTE 3 years may be extended up to 4 years
Full-time Term
Major Duties:
The employee will be a member of the Alaska Ecosystem Program, a research team focused on the ecology and
population dynamics of Steller sea lion and northern fur seals in Alaska. The incumbent will be responsible for leading
the program on quantitative aspects of the research. The employee will also have a primary role in communicating the
rationale for and results of statistical analyses used by the program to provide advice for management of protected
species, through reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications; analyze existing data and advise program
personnel on experimental design, data collection, mathematical/statistical analyses for projects investigating life
history parameters, abundance, feeding ecology, habitat associations, resource selection analyses, and demography
of Steller sea lions and northern fur seals; contribute to program planning, budgeting, and execution with regard to
ensuring that the quantitative data and projects of the program are of the highest quality; and represent the Alaska
Ecosystems program, the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center on various
committees, teams, and councils as appropriate.
Qualifications and Evaluations:
Basic education requirements:
A. Degree: that included 15 semester hours in statistics (or in mathematics and statistics, provided at least 6 semester
hours were in statistics), and 9 additional semester hours in one or more of the following: physical or biological sciences,
medicine, education, or engineering; or in the social sciences including demography, history, economics, social welfare,
geography, international relations, social or cultural anthropology, health sociology, political science, public administration,
psychology, etc. Credit toward meeting statistical course requirements should be given for courses in which 50 percent of
the course content appears to be statistical methods, e.g., courses that included studies in research methods in psychology
or economics such as tests and measurements or business cycles, or courses in methods of processing mass statistical
data such as tabulating methods or electronic data processing.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience--courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
The experience should have included a full range of professional statistical work such as (a) sampling, (b) collecting, computing,
and analyzing statistical data, and (c) applying statistical techniques such as measurement of central tendency, dispersion,
skewness, sampling error, simple and multiple correlation, analysis of variance, and tests of significance.
In addition to meeting the basic education requirements, applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to
the next lower level (GS-12 or PB III) in the Federal service.
Specialized experience includes comprehensive knowledge of statistical theory and techniques and may include post-doctoral
training in statistics, wildlife ecology, population dynamics, and related topics, plus practical experience planning, implementing,
analyzing, and reporting statistical research projects on large, long-lived animals, especially pinnipeds. Ability to draw rational
inferences based on statistical data and to prepare comprehensive and publishable reports. Experience in spatial statistics and
the analysis of animal movements and distribution is highly desirable.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification requirements in the
vacancy announcement 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 website located at
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
How You Will Be Evaluated:
The Human Resource Division review of applications is a three-step process. First, all candidates are evaluated to determine if they
meet the basic eligibility requirements (i.e., are a U.S. citizen, meets the who may apply description, etc.). If the candidate meets
the basic eligibility requirements, their application is reviewed again to determine if their background and/or education meets the OPM
qualification requirements as described above. If so, they are considered basically qualified for the position. The candidates responses
to the experience questions are used to evaluate their work experiences, which could be expected to significantly enhance their
performance for the position to be filled. The answers to these questions determine which candidates are best qualified for the position
and will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Candidates are encouraged to provide supplemental information in their
experience statement which will be taken into consideration by the selecting official in the selection process. The best-qualified
candidates will then be identified, or ranked, for referral to the selecting official. The level of education, experience, and/or training you
claim must be supported in your online resume. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you.
A complete resume in your online application is required for consideration.
How to Apply:
Application under this announcement requires the applicant to complete and submit a specially designed Quick Hire application. To
access the Department of Commerce ACES Quick Hire system to develop an application and apply for this position go to
https://jobs1.quickhire.com/scripts/doc.exe. The submission of anything other than the Quick Hire application will result in your
application not being considered under this vacancy announcement. Applicants applying on-line for this position will be able to apply
until 12:00 midnight Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement.
Required Documents:
You must FAX the documents required by this announcement to 301-562- 8968 to verify your claimed education, CTAP/ICTAP eligibility,
and/or veterans preference.
Transcripts:
If you are qualifying based on education or if the position has positive education requirements, you must also fax a copy of your college
transcripts. Unofficial copies are acceptable but you must be prepared to provide official transcripts upon request.
SF-50B:
Also known as SF-50 is the Notification of Personnel Action. If you have ever been employed with the Federal Government the SF-50B
is the document used that documents your service. Applicants who currently work for the Federal Government and those with
reinstatement eligibility must submit a copy of an SF-50B "Notification of Personnel Action" that contains the title, series, grade,
position occupied, and tenure to verify status.
CTAP/ICTAP:
If you are claiming eligibility for CTAP or ICTAP, you must fax a copy of the Certificate of Expected Separation notice or Reduction
in Force separation notice.
Veterans:
If you are claiming veterans preference, you must FAX supporting documentation (i.e., DD-214, SF-15, VA letter). These documents
must be faxed prior to the closing date of this announcement using the appropriate cover sheet and a legible copy of the corresponding
document.
Please fax using the appropriate cover sheet and a legible copy of the corresponding document to 301-562-8968. Each type of document
(e.g., transcripts, DD-214 and other preference documentation, etc.) must be dialed and FAXed in separately as each cover sheet includes
an identification number, which ensures your document is processed correctly. Illegible supporting documentation will not be considered,
nor will you be contacted to submit additional copies.
What to Expect Next:
Applicants will receive notice that their application has been received. Applicants can check the status of their application by accessing
the Department of Commerce, Quick Hire, Applicant Site at https://jobs1.quickhire.com/scripts/doc.exe and clicking on View My Application
Status.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the announcement only if selected.
Benefits:
This is a full-time term position. Employed by a Federal Organization, you are eligible for benefits such as:
- A varied selection of cost-shared health insurance plans
- Life insurance coverage options
- Comprehensive retirement benefits
- A tax-deferred Thrift Savings Plan (401K)
- Annual leave
- Sick leave
- Paid holidays
- You may be eligible for flexible work schedules
- Overtime pay/Compensatory time
- Participate in a Flexible spending account
- Transportation subsidy
Additional Information:
Reasonable Accommodation: The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need
a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office listed below. The
decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants must be able to meet physical requirements.
CTAP:
If you are currently a Department of Commerce employee who has received a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Certificate of
Expected Separation (CES) you may be entitled to special priority selection under the Departmental Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP).
ICTAP:
If you are a displaced Federal employee you may be entitled to receive special priority selection under the Interagency Career Transition
Assistance Program (ICTAP).
Special Appointing Authorities:
Disabled veterans, handicapped and other applicants eligible for noncompetitive appointment under special appointing authorities, must indicate
eligibility in this application and submit proof of eligibility by 12:00 midnight of the closing date of this announcement.
Selective Service Registration:
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System or have an exemption. If selected,
confirmation of registration status is required.
Trial Period:
A one year trial period is required.