Electronics Technician

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), Office of Business Operations and Accountability (BOA), Human Capital Management Division (HCMD), Systems Training Unit (STU), with 1 vacancy in Kansas City, MO.

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Duties

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As an Electronics Technician, you will perform the following duties:

• Serve as an Electronics Technician Instructor within the Systems Training Unit for specialized advanced technical courses covering National Weather Service (NWS) electronic, meteorological, and telecommunications systems. Deliver instruction through a combination of traditional classroom lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises, distance learning, webinars, and self-paced e-learning platforms. Teach complex concepts related to high-power Radio Frequency (RF) and radar transmitters, receiver signal processing, digital signal processors, Linux and Unix-based server hardware, meteorological sensor suites, and network routing equipment. Instruct students in safety protocols, including high-voltage safety, RF hazard mitigation, and electro-static discharge (ESD) procedures. Evaluate student progress through practical bench tests, written exams, and field-simulated fault troubleshooting performance tests and provide objective performance feedback and remedial coaching.
• Research, design, update, and maintain instructional materials, course syllabi, lab guides, training manuals, and interactive training aids. Analyze system engineering modifications, software upgrades, and field retrofit notifications to update instructional content in alignment with current NWS operational baselines. Coordinate with NWS systems engineers and original equipment manufacturers to translate technical engineering documentation into standardized instructional modules. Employ Instructional System Design principles to ensure training addresses identified field skill gaps and meets operational readiness objectives.
• Configure, calibrate, maintain, and repair specialized electronic equipment, test beds, system simulators, and benchtop mockups used in instructional laboratories. Inject hardware, software, and system faults into simulator platforms to test and refine student troubleshooting capabilities under controlled conditions. Evaluate and integrate advanced electronic test equipment (e.g., spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, signal generators, power meters) into laboratory exercises.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for NWS systems, offering high-level technical assistance and support for complex systems. Participate in agency workgroups, system test teams, and field implementation teams evaluating next-generation observational technologies.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work requires a combination of stationary classroom instruction and active physical effort in laboratory settings.
• Requires standing for long periods, bending, crouching, lifting test equipment weighing up to 40-50lbs, and climbing ladders or training structures to access elevated equipment assemblies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (
• Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional Considerations:

• One year probationary period may be required.
• Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized.
• This position requires Moderate Risk Security Clearance.
• Background investigation will be required. Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, 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;
• Needs and interests of the agency;
• Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of then 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.

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.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at:

EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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 qualify at the GS-12 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Installing, operating, and maintaining a wide range of electronic, electro-mechanical, data acquisition, communications equipment or related computer systems; and
• Instructing team members and peers on the setup, operation, and maintenance of electronic, electro-mechanical, data acquisition, or communications equipment or related computer systems.

Education

Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy.

Additional information

During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

ICTAP and CTAP Candidates: Eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

1. Copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
2. Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;
3. Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

1. Copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
2. Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
3. Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents:

1. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action": You must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position, AND the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND
2. Performance Appraisal: Most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

NOAA participates in e-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

The Federal Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.