The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has an exciting career opportunity for a Team Leader position in the Spokane Mining Research Division. The Team Leader will be the front-line supervisor for a team of multidisciplinary researchers on the Geomechanics team. The Geomechanics team conducts mining and ground control research focusing on reducing geomechanical hazards to mine workers through applied laboratory and field research.

The Spokane Mining Research Division is part of the NIOSH Mining Program. The Program serves as the focal point for miner safety and health research at NIOSH. Located in beautiful Spokane, Washington, we operate a state-of-the-art facility in a growing city that offers a well-balanced lifestyle with many outdoor activities, cultural events, and high-quality schools!

We are seeking an experienced engineer/scientist with leadership abilities to lead the team in the development of research projects, methodologies, and control strategies. They will also design, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of their research. The successful applicant should 1) have experience in the mining industry, 2) demonstrate a hands-on approach to research, and 3) can demonstrate leadership or supervision competencies.

As a Supervisory General Engineer/ Supervisory Physical Scientist (Equip Dev) (Interdisciplinary), you will:

• Serve as a first-line supervisor responsible for providing scientific leadership during the planning, directing and execution of the activities and services of one of the teams in one of the NIOSH mining divisions, involve in mining safety and health research.
• Plan and conduct complex scientific research studies, including laboratory and field investigations, to identify and better understand problems in the mining environment.
• Develop and design new methodologies and procedures for testing and solving problems.
• Delivers workshops and conduct seminars when requested.

Basic Qualification Requirements for the Supervisory General Engineer (Equipment Development) GS-0801-14:

Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
-OR-
A combination of education and experience - college-level education, training and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
1. Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions), are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration.
2. Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
3. Specified Academic Courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in A above.
4. Related Curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, (e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be acceptable in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g. in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples or related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Basic Qualification Requirements for the Supervisory Physical Scientist (Equipment Development), GS-1301-14:

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.
-OR-
A combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service as defined in the next paragraph.

Specialized experience is experience which is directly related to the position which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position to include planning, conducting, or advising on engineering or scientific research investigations aimed at reducing injuries and fatalities in mining.

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.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your résumé showing name, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates (month/year) of employment and duties performed. (If you are a current or former Federal employee provide your pay plan, series and grade in your resume, i.e., GS-0301-9).
Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
• Encrypted and digitally signed documents

2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Transcripts (Required)*
• Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal).

To learn more about the role and apply, go to the job listing here: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/696955200

 Application Closes: 01/24/2023

 If you have any questions, please contact the CDC helpdesk at HRCS@cdc.gov.

About National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

NIOSH is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It has the mandate to assure every man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources. The CDC is the nation’s leading science-based, data-driven, a service organization that protects the public’s health. NIOSH’s mission, as part of the CDC, is to develop new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transfer that knowledge into practice. Our programs are responsive to the occupational safety and health problems that burden workers now and in the future. At NIOSH, our workforce is as diverse as the population we serve. We have a world-class team of talented experts from many different fields and backgrounds who share a common passion for occupational health and safety. It’s this diversity of thought and inclusivity that fosters ingenuity, the collaboration of ideas, and partnership. A career at NIOSH means joining one of the best places to work as a public servant, protecting the lives of all workers.

Connections working at National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)