Research Engineer/Research Physical Scientist

Research Engineer/Research Physical Scientist

Pay $69107.00 - $98496.00 / year

Location Washington/District Of Columbia

Employment type Full-Time

Job Description

Req#: 724463400 NOTE: Read location information in Additional Information section before applying. This is not a remote position.

This employee supports the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) .

This scientist is responsible for evaluating the environmental impacts of wood-based product production and use including carbon mitigation benefits.

For additional information about these positions, please contact Prakash Nepal at Prakash.Nepal@usda.gov .



Duties



• Evaluating the forest sector role in sustainable management of natural systems.
• Analyzing the role of forests and harvested wood products in mitigating climate change by storing carbon and offsetting emissions.
• Evaluating opportunities to use forest biomass in the West to mitigate fire risk.
• Conducting life cycle analysis of the environmental effects of wood and bioenergy products.
• Understanding the environmental impacts, particularly carbon emissions and offsets, of wood and paper product products production and use.
• Quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials.
• Assessing the climate change impact associated with recovery and reuse of wood building materials.
• Participating in code and standard development.



Requirements



• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.



Qualifications


To qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

This is a research scientist position and is classified under the scientist career plan. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. Research accomplishments and their impact on the duties and responsibilities of positions are evaluated periodically. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. Final grade level will be determined by a peer review panel. The purpose of the initial review panel is to determine the grade level upon entry into a position.

Candidates being considered for this research position should provide a list of publications for which you have been an author, co-author, or contributor. If providing curriculum vitae, please incorporate all resume requirements identified in the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement, or submit a supplemental resume which includes all information required in addition to the curriculum vitae.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts are required. Provide course descriptions to clarify content of coursework as necessary.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirement listed in the Education section, you must also possess experience or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

GS-11: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9). Specialized experience at this level is defined as:
• Conducting the full cycle of scientific research with defined objectives, limited in scope to investigating specific phenomena or problems, or are segments of related investigations. Research at this level requires conventional techniques and involves applying existing theory or methods to areas previously investigated, but under different conditions, or involves adapting previous studies considering changes in theory or improved techniques and instrumentation and result in contributions that add to scientific and professional knowledge or support developing new or improved methods and techniques. This research must have been in one or more of the following areas: quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials such as lumber, panels, and bioenergy/biofuels through the stages of planting, growing, manufacturing, construction, operational use, demolition, and disposal; research engineering or physical science related to embodied emissions, mitigating climate change by using biobased materials that store carbon and can offset emissions, evaluating opportunities to use biomass especially to mitigate fire risk, and conducting life-cycle analysis on the environmental impacts of biobased products.
• Disseminating research findings at conferences or scientific meetings and contributing to results published in peer-reviewed journals.
• Collaborating and building partnerships with researchers, resource managers, and other collaborators.
--OR--
• Conferred master's degree that included scientific research in areas related to the work of the position which is life-cycle assessment techniques and methods and/or includes coursework in areas such as mass and energy balances, biomass analysis, environmental analysis, thermodynamics, unit process modeling
GS-12: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Specialized experience at this level is defined as:
• Conducting the full cycle of scientific research (including identifying research topics, defining study objectives, organizing and conducting the research, interpreting the results, and presenting the findings in the form of reports, demonstrations, manuscripts, and other appropriate technology transfer activities) in one or more of the following areas: quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials such as lumber, panels, and bioenergy/biofuels through the stages of planting, growing, manufacturing, construction, operational use, demolition, and disposal; research engineering or physical science related to embodied emissions, mitigating climate change by using biobased materials that store carbon and can offset emissions, evaluating opportunities to use biomass especially to mitigate fire risk, and conducting life-cycle analysis on the environmental impacts of biobased products
• Forming, leading, and participating in research teams, regional, and/or national importance.
• Disseminating research findings at conferences or scientific meetings and publishing results in peer-reviewed journals.
--OR--
• Conferred Ph.D. degree that included scientific research in areas related to the work of the position which is life-cycle assessment techniques and methods and/or includes coursework in areas such as mass and energy balances, biomass analysis, environmental analysis, thermodynamics, unit process modeling

GS-13: One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). At the GS- 13 grade level, graduate level education alone is not qualifying. To qualify at this grade, you must possess the specialized experience listed below.
Specialized experience at this level is defined as:
• Conducting a diversity or body of research as a Principal Investigator or project member on multiple studies in Life-Cycle Assessment hat include the full cycle of scientific research (i.e. identifying research topics, defining study objectives, organizing and conducting the research, interpreting the results, and presenting the findings in the form of reports, demonstrations, manuscripts, and other appropriate technology transfer activities)as it pertains to: quantifying the environmental impacts and economic costs of wood building materials such as lumber, panels, and bioenergy/biofuels through the stages of planting, growing, manufacturing, construction, operational use, demolition, and disposal; research engineering or physical science related to embodied emissions, mitigating climate change by using biobased materials that store carbon and can offset emissions, evaluating opportunities to use biomass especially to mitigate fire risk, and conducting life-cycle analysis on the environmental impacts of biobased products.
• Developing and disseminating research findings in collaboration with resource managers and planners for presentation at conferences or scientific meetings and publishing results in peer-reviewed journals.

About the company

The United States Department of Agriculture, also known as the Agriculture Department, is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in the United States and internationally.