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Summary NIST works with industry and science to advance innovation and improve quality of life. We're looking for a Mechanical Engineer 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. Responsibilities The mechanical engineer plans and carries out difficult and complex assignments in engineering research discipline, with limited supervision, towards the application of in-situ measurements during laser-based metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes. In collaboration with NIST colleagues, the incumbent reviews the state-of-art of research in AM in-situ measurements, and assists NIST colleagues on development of new research and experiment planning. The incumbent develops, designs, fabricates/assembles, tests, and performs research tasks on new measurement techniques including, but not limited to: non-contact thermometry, thermography, high-speed imaging, and spectroscopy. The incumbent takes resulting measurement and proceeds with data analysis and processing to extract meaningful information towards research goals described in the experiment plan. The incumbent synthesizes experiment and research results into clear textual or visual descriptions, and disseminates via technical visualizations, presentations, published datasets, and/or technical publications. If selected for this position you will: Design experiments for laser-based AM research platform(s). - Review technical publications - Conceive of new measurement approaches or experiment designs - Communicate and iterate research plans with colleagues Design and construction of measurement systems for laser-based AM research platforms - Identify necessary measurement system performance criteria and mechanical/optical/physical design - Construct and test measurement systems on laser-based AM research platform(s) - Execute experiments and data acquisition using designed measurement system(s) Data processing and dissemination of experiment results - Perform computational analyses of measurement results. - Create and share technical figures, plots, and textual description of data analysis results - Write parts of technical reports detailing measurement results Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Basic Requirements: A. 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 B. 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 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)1, 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. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. 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 under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. 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 accepted 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 of related curricula are not all-inclusive.) In addition to the basic qualifications above, applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the GS-9 grade level (ZP-II for NIST employees) or equivalent. Specialized experience is defined as experience in all of the following: 1. Experience working with industrial 3D printing machines 2. Experience with computational programming languages such as Python, Matlab, or Octave, AND 3. Experience using optical measurement techniques such as thermography, spectroscopy, or machine vision. OR Master's Degree OR Equivalent graduate degree 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. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. Applicant Reconsideration Education This position has an education requirement. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment. Use of foreign education for qualifications. An accredited organization must evaluate education completed outside of the U.S. to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with course-by-course listing) is required with your application. Additional Information This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here! Your application package may be shared with other selecting officials at NIST for similar opportunities and additional selections may be made from this vacancy. Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions. All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations. A probationary period may be required. If a supervisory position, use: A supervisory probationary period may be required. NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities such as: Telework Flexible work schedules Paid parental leave Paid vacation Sick leave Family-friendly leave Childcare subsidy program for qualifying families Back-up child care program Child and elder-care resources On-site childcare center Lactation spaces Wellness programs Fitness center Employee assistance programs