Summary

This position may be filled using Direct Hire Authority and is in the Department of Defense (DoD) Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo): Z5CAV/Direct-Hire Authority (Certain DoD Personnel) PL 118-31, Sec 125OB (i)(2), 12/22/2023.This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) "Expansion of Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense," dated August 12,2024.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

National Guard and reserves

Current members, those who want to join or transitioning military members.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens, and is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense. Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612)(NonComp Mil Sp), Priority Placement Program (PPP) Retained Grade Preference (RGP), and PPP Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles may also apply.

Duties

As a Physical Scientist at the GS-1301-12/13 some of your typical work assignments may include:

Directs the formulation, development, implementation, and dissemination of a significant component of DTRA's research and development efforts involving Nuclear Weapons Effects (NWE) and to provide technical expertise on these research matters.
Technical expert in the integration of DTRA's NWE compendium of knowledge into DoD's nuclear Effects Manual One (EM-1) performing a wide range of functions either individually or through the coordinated efforts of other technical and managerial staff at DTRA, contractor organizations, government laboratories, and universities.
Provides expert advice and consultation on all aspects of legacy NWE M&S test data. Work emphasizes NWE M&S tools that are of direct application to enhancing the effectiveness of the warfighter, and that can serve as initial or exploratory work for future direct applications.
Develops required programmatic and fiscal documentation to support the planning, programming, and budgeting system. Develops and prepares contract, Military Intergovernmental Purchase Request (MIPR), Interagency Order (IO), or any other packages necessary to implement projects. Executes all functions necessary to bring procurement actions to a successful conclusion. Provides a high degree of management and technical innovation to provide a quality product that meets requirements at the lowest cost. Maintains required liaison with personnel within DTRA, the military services, DoD agencies, Department of Energy (DOE) and any other organizations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen
Occasional Travel
Work Schedule: Full-time
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Overtime: Occasionally
Tour of Duty: Flexible
Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized if funds available and with approval from hiring manager
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Non-Exempt
Financial Disclosure: Required
Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible
Must consent to and pass pre-employment drug testing and be subject to periodic random drug testing thereafter.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a TOP SECRET clearance and access to NATO, CNWDI, RD and Special Compartmented Information.
Overtime/compensatory time may be required to accommodate operational needs of the organization.
Travel in the performance of temporary assignments may be required up to 25% of duty time.
The incumbent will be required to become certified Level Practitioner in the applicable career field within 5 years.
The incumbent is required to acquire a minimum of 40 continuous learning points (CLPs) every fiscal year as a goal and 80 CLPs being mandatory within 2 years.
This is an Acquisition Workforce position in the Engineering, Technical and Management (EMT) career field.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid passport.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS 12 , if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, military or private sector:

Leading complex and diverse research, development test, evaluation and assessment nuclear weapon effects efforts under close supervision
Researching nuclear weapon effects projects by following strict guidelines
Managing acquisition, development, analysis or evaluation of scientific and technical solutions to Nuclear Weapon Effects Domain problems with detailed instructions from supervision
Assisting in the formulation and execution of research projects, often performing segments of broader projects under senior guidance.

You may qualify at the GS 13 , if you fulfill the following qualifications:
B. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, military or private sector:

Operating as a Physical Scientist in the nuclear science field
Leading, managing, planning or overseeing complex and diverse research, development test, evaluation and assessment nuclear weapon effects efforts independently
Research or managing nuclear weapon effects projects by following guidelines
Managing acquisition, development, analysis or evaluation of scientific and technical solutions to Nuclear Weapon Effects Domain problems
Managing acquisition, development, analysis or evaluation of scientific and technical solutions to NWE domain problems

In addition to specialized experience, this position requires an individual occupational requirement:

A. Degree: 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.

B. Combination of education and experience - education equivalent to one of the majors 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

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.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

Additional information

Other Notes:
ACQUISITION POSITION: This is an Acquisition Workforce position in the Program Management functional area. The incumbent will be required to become certified in the Practitioner tier within 5 years. The incumbent is required to acquire a minimum of 40 continuous learning points (CLPs) every fiscal year as a goal and 80 CLPs being mandatory within 2 years.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements: Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses

RE-EMPLOYED ANNUITANT: This position DOES NOT meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Who Needs to Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov))

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position.

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements.

For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager. Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible:- Submit a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation, such as the notification letter you received showing you are no longer eligible for military or NG membership (through no fault of your own) and that you have completed at least 15 years of technician service and a minimum of 20 years of service creditable for non-regular retirement.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible:- You must provide a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist, DD3145-1 (whs.mil), a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF) 50 effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. The following documents are REQUIRED. Your resume:

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

2. Transcripts:

This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript
College transcript (s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.

3. SF50

All current and former civilian Federal employees should submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc.

4. Veteran's Documents:

If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.

PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf?

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12907437

Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d

Agency contact information

DTRA Servicing Team

Email

DHRC-DDTRAHR@dla.mil

Address

Defense Threat Reduction Agency
8725 JOHN J KINGMAN ROAD
MSC 6201
FT BELVOIR, VA 22060-6201
US

Next steps

A list of qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official. All applicants reviewed and/or referred will receive a notification letter.

The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.

REGARDING INTERVIEWS: Interviews may be required for this position. Accommodations may be made to conduct telephonic interviews to preclude travel hardships for applicants.

NOTE: Declining to be interviewed or failure to report for a scheduled interview will be considered as a declination for further consideration for employment against this vacancy.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

03/12/2026 to 03/30/2026

Salary

$90,479 to - $139,871 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 12 - 13

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Kirtland AFB, NM

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

Yes—This position is an in-person position at facilities located at Kirtland AFB, NM. This position may be eligible for limited, situational telework subject to supervisory approval and not to exceed current Agency guidelines. This position is not eligible for remote telework.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

13 - If selected at the GS-12 level

Job family (Series)

1301 General Physical Science

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Top Secret

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk

Trust determination process

National security

Financial disclosure

Yes - OGE 450

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

DTRA-26-12907437-DH

Control number

860879000

US Defense Threat Reduction Agency

About Company

Physical Scientist