Computer Scientist

Summary

Duties

As a Computer Scientist, you will perform the following duties:

• Implements complex mathematical telecom and propagation modeling algorithms; and develop, validate, verify, test, and document software solutions.
• Leads team-based projects that include software development, algorithm implementations, numerical analysis and research, and computer science methods and techniques.
• Researches problems arising from the use of digital computers. Perform research and analysis to verify, validate, debug, troubleshoot, and test software implementations.
• Gives oral presentations to explain project development efforts. Reports project results to both technical and non-technical audiences using tact and persuasion, responding appropriately to questions.
• Generates written reports to explain research developments of digital computer systems. Evaluate results and prepare report findings of new methods and techniques to store, manipulate, transform or present information by means of digital computer systems.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Computer Scientist ZP-1550-4, 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-ST-26-13077104, which is open to Merit Promotion eligible applicants. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• 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 of possession of drugs.
• A 3-year 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
• License required: No
• Drug Test Required: No
• 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

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-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14 grade levels.

To qualify at the ZP-4, 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-12 or ZP-3 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1. Software development experience to create and improve software solutions; 2. 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) AND 3. Leading teams or projects.