Summary
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Life Support Systems & Water Quality Office, Office of Planning, Facilities and Exhibits, National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), Office of the Under Secretary of Science and Research (OUSSR), Smithsonian Institution (SI).
Duties
The Life Support Systems & Water Quality Specialist is responsible for assisting in the oversite of the operation, maintenance, and management of aquatic exhibits and life support systems within NZCBI. In this position, you will: Assist with operation and maintenance of aquatic systems including filtration, circulation, heating/cooling, aeration, and disinfection. Monitor water quality parameters (temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen). Maintain records of water quality and system performance. Manage inventory and coordinate repairs.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.
How you will be evaluated
Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below: Knowledge of aquatic systems, including the interaction of filtration, circulation, and aeration processes to maintain water quality and support a healthy aquatic environment. Skilled in monitoring and collecting water quality data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with established procedures when recording water quality parameters Skilled in assessment and analysis, identifying operational gaps, troubleshooting equipment issues, and maintaining accurate documentation and recordkeeping. Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria: Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above. Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above. Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree. This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position. Important Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed. You may preview questions for this vacancy.