Physical Science Technician

Full Job Description

About the Position: This position is located within Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Director for Clinical Support, Department of Public Health Radiation Safety at Bethesda, Maryland.

This position will be filled at the GS-10 or GS-11 grade level.

If selected at the GS-10 level, noncompetitive promotion to the next grade level is authorized; pending time-in-grade requirements and demonstrated ability to perform the next higher/target level grade duties.

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job.

You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected.

30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans Current Civilian Employees of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army) Current Permanent Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Employee Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Executive Order (E.O.) 12721 Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI) Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible People with Disabilities, Schedule A Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Reinstatement Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below.

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).

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.

Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirements for GS-10 level: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes conducting radiation surveys; collecting data through monitoring and sampling to identify hazards; performing laboratory analysis of a wide variety of radioactive materials using techniques, processes and instruments such as multi-channel analyzers, liquid scintillation counters, and Geiger-Mueller detectors; and assisting the Health Physicist in the development of resolutions to radioactive detection and management.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify.

For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the second lower grade or equivalent (GS-09).

Basic Requirement for GS-11 level: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes ionizing radiation and/or radio isotopes and application within clinical or industrial setting; assisting with surveillance of radioactive equipment, materials, and/or laser systems; disposal of radioactive waste; operating advanced radiation detection and medical equipment; and assisting with providing guidance to project officers of experimental testing programs on safety measures/requirements for test plans/items that may present radiation hazards and/or shipping, receiving and handling of sealed radioactive material sources and documentation.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-10).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify.

For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-10).

Major Duties:

• Assist with performing radiological surveillance and analysis to assess the effects of radiation sources to public health dose safety.
• Recommend or perform extensive training and presentations to advise researchers and senior level staff on matters that require in depth consideration and subject matter expertise regarding surveillance findings.
• Perform independent operation and extensive calculation involving advanced radiation detection and medical equipment (i.e. air-flow monitors, Geiger-Mueller and other gas-filled detectors, liquid scintillation counters, and multi-channel analyzers).
• Innovate and adapt new precedents, methods and techniques for which directly applicable safety standards and federal regulations are not published.
• Liaison with high level military and civilian radiation safety managers and other professionals at service, medical command, and Department of Defense (DoD) facilities.
• Survey medical, dental and veterinary x-ray equipment; the use and control of licensed radioactive materials; the use and control of medical laser systems; and the disposal of radioactive waste.