Training Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), NOAA Diving Center (NDC), with 2 vacancies in Seattle, WA. This position is also announced under vacancy number OMAO-26-13049543-ST, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Duties

• As a Training Specialist, you will perform the following duties: Coordinate, promote, certify personnel, and execute effective training and provide oversight for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Diving Center (NDC) in order to promote safe diving practices per OSHA compliant scientific diving guidelines, minimizing the likelihood of diving accidents. Issue certifications through a nationally recognized SCUBA training agency. Support several areas of the NDC program including equipment and facilities maintenance and operations, diving and hyperbaric chamber operational support, supervision and training of divers, and diving unit inspections. Develop, schedule, and provide instruction in NOAA diving and dive-related training, including but not limited to, NOAA diver, Divemaster, and Diving Medical Technician. Serve as dive instructor or trainer, dive supervisor, standby diver, and tender as required to support NDC course offerings. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This position has physical requirements. Able to swim and work in a water column; walk, stand, bend, stoop, lift/carry up to 60 pounds on land and aboard small vessels. Utilizes SCUBA equipment underwater. Perform duties indoors in typical office setting, outdoors and in small boats exposed to weather, and in water conditions including cold temperatures, low visibility, and hazardous marine life. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Train and re-certify as required to maintain basic National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) diving and diving related medical proficiency and qualifications. Meet physical requirements for NOAA Diving as described in the NOAA Diving Medical Standards and Procedures Manual. Successfully complete a NOAA Diving physical exam and receive clearance to dive from the NOAA Diving Medical Officer at entry on duty. Must be able to serve aboard a NOAA Ship as divemaster, and chamber operator. This position requires the operation of a Federal motor vehicle. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license to operate a government vehicle in completion of assigned tasks i.e. site visits, field research, etc. Operate government owned vehicles and small boats in support of NOAA Dive Center mission. Travel as needed to support off-site dive instruction and operations. This position requires a Non-Critical Sensitive clearance as the incumbent requires access to secure spaces where a SECRET clearance is required.

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/ EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position. 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 ZA-3 or GS-11 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Providing advice and guidance for dive-related trainings or diving operations; Providing guidance as a dive instructor or trainer and supporting a variety of dive operations; and Participating in scientific diving operations under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) compliant scientific diving guidelines. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with a major study in education or a subject area related to the position to be filled or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirements. Note: Only graduate-level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. -AND- SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Selective Placement Factor: Essential to performing the duties of this position, the incumbent must hold and maintain an active SCUBA Instructor qualification from a nationally recognized training agency. If you do not meet the requirements of this Selective Placement Factor, you will be rated ineligible for this announcement. Applicants must provide documentation with their application to support meeting this Selective Placement Factor.

Requirements

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12. Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Qualification requirements must be met by closing date of the announcement. Additional Considerations: One year probationary period may be required. Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized. This position requires Noncritical Sensitive Security Clearance. Background investigation will be required. Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. *Note: A one year probationary period will be required unless you are a current Department of Commerce (including NOAA) employee and are in the same line of work and with no more than a 30 day break in service. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; Needs and interests of the agency; Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of then Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), name of accredited institution, course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. 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: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

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 experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk 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.