Computer Scientist

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the 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 Requirement for Computer Scientist: Degree: Bachelor’s degree (or higher degree) in computer science or bachelor’s degree (or higher 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. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: GS 7: Qualification Requirements: This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05) Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Providing assistance to develop software systems or computer graphics systems; Collaborating with senior scientists in research, mathematical, and statistical design of devices; Understanding of foundations and concepts of computer science; and Reviewing and interpreting technical and scientific publications. OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as Computer Science. OR Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing – Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) – Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR (3) Honor Society Membership – Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/). OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS 09 Qualification Requirements: This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07) Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Assisting in developing and testing software programs or developing and testing portions of complex systems; Recommending changes when deviations from standard procedures are necessary; Aiding in conducting system level evaluations; and Supporting teams with creating design specifications. OR Education: Master’s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as Computer Science. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS 11 Qualification Requirements: This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: Performing hardware and software analysis; Conducting system level evaluations; Developing standards and test plans directed towards improved modeling and simulation; and Generating design specifications. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. This announcement MAY be used to fill like vacancies six months from the closing date. All qualification requirements, including time after competitive appointment, must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
About the Position: This position is with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research Engineer Lab. This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. This position provides promotion opportunity to the GS-11 grade level without further competition when eligible and recommended by management. GS 7: $55,383 – $71,999 GS 9: $67,743 – $88,065 GS 11: $81,963 – $106,549