Physicist

Summary

NIST works with industry and science to advance innovation and improve quality of life. We're looking for a Physicist to join our team! This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Duties

As a Physicist on our team, you will: Research novel materials for semiconductor applications and related fields, including materials for memory stacks, dielectric and ferroelectric applications, and quantum electronics. Conduct research using the capabilities of NIST's beamline for materials measurement, including X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction. Assist in the support of beamline operations and develop research efforts and collaborations using beamline capabilities. Develop new beamline capabilities using newly procured detectors and instrumentation. Communicate and collaborate with team members, other NIST teams, and external teams. Present and publish results as appropriate.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements: A. Degree: physics; or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics. OR B. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In either A or B above, the courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, courses in any two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound. In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must also have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 (ZP-II at NIST) level. Specialized Experience is defined as experience in the use of synchrotron radiation and operation of synchrotron beamlines and related instrumentation for planning and executing X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and/or synchrotron X-ray Scattering experiments is required. A background in materials physics, inorganic chemistry, or a closely related field with an emphasis on the determination of structure/function relationships using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and/or X-ray Diffraction. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree as defined in the basic requirements. OR A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as defined in the additional requirements Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done. We will credit all qualifying volunteer experience in your application. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. Applicant Reconsideration