Supervisory Physical Scientist

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Silver Spring (MD); Hybrid; USD 169,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland seeks a Supervisory Physical Scientist to lead the Systems Management Division within CASO.

You will manage division operations, oversee life-cycle programs and acquisitions for observing systems, and supervise a team of meteorologists, engineers, and IT specialists to ensure reliable data and system performance.

Qualifications

• College transcript documentation required to verify degree/course work.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Chief of the Systems Management Division within CASO.
• Manage division programs and project life-cycle, including acquisitions of observing data.
• Provide program reporting, performance monitoring, and Exhibit 300s as needed.
• Oversee deployment, enhancement, and decommissioning of observing systems.
• Supervise staff including meteorologists, engineers, and IT specialists.

Education

College transcript

Job description

• Hiring Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), Office of Observations (OBS), Center for Atmospheric and Surface Observations (CASO), Systems Management Branch, with 1 vacancy in Silver Spring, MD.

Key Responsibilities

As a Supervisory Physical Scientist, you will perform the following duties: Serve as the Chief of the Systems Management Division within the Center for Atmospheric and Surface Observations (CASO). Is responsible for the management and administration of the Division, as well as serving as the primary focal point for programmatic and operational support for a number of state, territory, and international operational systems and equipment for the National Weather Service (NWS).

Provide leadership and program management for the life-cycle of the systems encompassed in the programs and projects, as well as oversight and management of the acquisition and procurement of observational data leveraged by the NWS. Ensure Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC) certified Program Managers are available to support programs and projects managed by the Division.

Support the Program Manager's responsibilities for providing program reporting (presentations, performance monitoring, Office of Management and Budget (0MB) Exhibit 300s, etc.). Serve as focal point for providing programmatic management of surface and upper air observing systems and related computer processing systems.

Responsible for the management of operational implementation and commissioning of new observing and related computer systems, enhancements to existing systems, and decommissioning of systems. Maintain performance measures regarding operations and data availability of field systems and coordinate issues with operational observing systems through interaction with Regional, Field, and Headquarters (HQ) units.

Establish and manage project schedules and work breakdown structures, project cost development, performance metrics, and risk management. Provide supervision and management of Division resources, including staff and budget. Provide leadership and direction to Division staff, including training and career development opportunities.

Act as first-line supervisor of a staff of program and project managers who are meteorologists, physical scientists, engineers, program analysts, and Information Technology (IT) specialists, who are engaged in managing observing programs, projects and acquisitions. Adjust work schedules and reprograms, reschedules and reassigns work to meet Division responsibilities.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Incumbent will obtain and maintain Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers at the Senior Level with Information Technology Certification. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active.

Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Requirements & Education

Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy. College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), name of accredited institution, course title, number of credit hours and grade earned.

You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $169279 – $197200/yr.

Is this position remote or telework eligible?

This position is eligible for telework.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-11-25.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Transition' hiring path.