Marine Surveyor (Open to both U.S. Citizens and Federal Employees)

Summary

The position serves as a field level subject matter expert on the maintenance, repair, and operations of the National Defense Reserve Force (NDRF) and Public Nautical School Ship Program (PNSP) Ships. This position is located in the Maritime Administration (MARAD) Division of Gulf Operations (DGO).

Duties

As a Marine Surveyor, you will: Participate in and conduct inspections and surveys to determine the readiness of assigned ship(s), shipboard equipment, and systems, and ensure completed repairs comply with applicable regulatory standards for U.S. Flag ships. Serve as the primary Area Division technical and programmatic contact with Ship Managers or General Agents to provide guidance and make recommendations for programmatic-level allocation of resource related to the maintenance, repairs, and operations of assigned ships. Organize work, set priorities, and determine resource requirements; determine short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinate with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitor progress and evaluate outcomes. Serve as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or Assistant Contracting Officer's Representative (ACOR), for Ship Managers Contracts and General Agency Agreements (AA's) in accordance with the terms and conditions delegated by the Point of Contact to Authorized Contracting Officer (PCO/ACO) in a Letter of Assignment. The ideal candidate for this position is an individual with experience in the management of ship operations, repair, conversion, and industrial projects for assigned ships and/or projects. The ideal candidate can also apply the standards of the U.S. Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping for U.S. flag cargo ships, and possesses strong interpersonal skills required to work with other governments employees, government contractors, ship crews, and partners in the maritime industry. Requirements

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which 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; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the 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. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel. A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only. DRUG TEST: If selected for the position you will be required to submit to a pre-employment/pre-appointment drug test, you will also be subject to Random Drug Testing. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed). Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must either the education or specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration. To qualify for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09 it must include: Experience conducting surveys on machinery, refrigeration, electronic, electrical equipment, hulls, hull equipment, paint, or preservation to determine condition and repairs of assigned ships required to meet specified regulatory standards. Experience preparing detailed technical overhaul or repair specifications, based on regulatory requirements, to identify required quality and quantity of materials and estimated man hours. Experience preparing cost estimates for each item in the specification and total cost of job, man hours, materials and overhead. To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application. To qualify for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11 it must include: Experience in inspecting vessels undergoing repair, maintenance, and modernization at commercial shipyards and marine repair facilities to ensure adherence to contract specifications and industry standards. Experience in monitoring work in progress verify compliance with technical specifications while developing dry dock schedules, planning cyclic maintenance requirements, and coordinating advanced maintenance activities. Experience in advising operations, maintenance, and supply personnel on marine maintenance issues, including troubleshooting, repair strategies, and lifecycle support considerations. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-12 level; you must have experience. To qualify for the GS-13 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12 it must include: Experience in maintaining and repairing ocean-going vessels, and surveying and inspecting such vessels to support classification appraisal, determination of general condition, and assessment of fitness for operations. Experience in commercial marine surveying, shipboard engineering officer services, or shipyard management, including providing guidance on vessel maintenance and repair functions, as well as related policies and procedures. Experience in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, instructions, and established standards governing the conduct of condition surveys, inspections, dry dockings, dock trials, and sea trials. You cannot qualify on education at the GS-13 level; you must have experience. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Manages and Organizes Information: Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods. For all types of consideration, 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 For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/ Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements: This series covers technical positions supervising, leading, or performing work involving surveying Government-owned and/or operated vessels, or privately-owned and operated merchant vessels, to determine their condition and the extent of work necessary for the vessels and their components to meet specified requirements. The work requires applying a practical knowledge of: preparing specifications, including estimates of labor and material costs, to cover work determined to be necessary as a result of surveys; and inspecting and accepting the work accomplished to place the vessel in the condition specified. Specialized Experience (for all positions): Applicants must have had 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression. Specialized experience is responsible work in the maintenance and repair of ocean-going vessels that demonstrated the ability to survey and inspect such vessels for the purposes of classification, appraisal, determination of general conditions and fitness for operation, and determination of the extent of damage sustained and type and cost of repairs and reconditioning required. This experience may have been gained in marine surveying or other work such as: Seagoing experience as a U.S. Coast Guard licensed marine engineer in the merchant marine. For GS-11 (or equivalent), applicants must have sailed under a 2nd Assistant license for at least 1 year. For GS-12 (or equivalent), applicants must have sailed under a 1st Assistant license for at least 1 year. For GS-13 (or equivalent), applicants must have sailed under a Chief's license for at least 1 year. Experience in a ship repair yard or in the engineering department of a steamship company serving in positions such as marine superintendent or port engineer. How You Will Be Evaluated

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: Please be clear and specific when describing your experience, as HR evaluates applications strictly on the facts provided and will not make assumptions. To receive full credit, your narrative responses must be written in paragraph format and explicitly match your resume. Begin each response by listing the exact position title, organization, employment dates (MM/YYYY–MM/YYYY), full- or part-time status, average weekly hours, and federal series/grade (if applicable). Within the body of the paragraph, clearly describe your specific duties, actions taken, tools used, and measurable outcomes. HR will cross-check these details against your resume; if your resume does not fully support every claim and timeframe, the experience will not be considered for credit, which may result in an ineligible determination. Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for non-competitive reassignment for this position must indicate interest and must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, served at the same grade or higher, or held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position. All applicants: Your application will be reviewed in two phases determine how you move forward in the hiring process. Phase I: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. ONLY two (2) pages of your resume will be reviewed. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) will not be reviewed. Applicants passing “Phase I” will move on to the “Phase II” of the assessment process where your application will be reviewed and rated based on the KSAs/Competencies listed in the vacancy announcement by a Subject Matter Expert (SME). You may preview questions for this vacancy. Other Information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and federal applicant eligibility. To prove you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirement for the highest grade level requested, you must submit SF-50 documentation showing a sequential 52-week period. Box 4 of the SF-50 must show an effective date at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing date. Do not submit an award SF-50 or a current-year pay adjustment SF-50, as these generally do not verify grade, eligibility, or the full 52-week requirement. To ensure your application passes HR validation, you are highly encouraged to combine and upload the following required SF-50 documents into a single PDF: • The SF-50 showing when you were originally appointed or promoted to your qualifying grade level (establishing the start of your 52-week timeline) OR subsequent SF-50 (such as a Within-Grade Increase, promotion, or award) dated at least 52 weeks later. Warning on Incomplete Documentation: Submitting only an annual general pay adjustment SF-50 or an award SF-50 by itself is insufficient, as these individual documents do not track or prove your original entry date into that grade. If your documentation fails to conclusively prove a full 52-week history at the next lower grade, you will be rated Ineligible for that tier." This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.