Summary The Department of Commerce ranked top 5 in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government amongst large agencies for the 12th year in a row! The ranking showcases the Department's continued commitment to increasing our employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and positive perceptions towards diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. 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 Research Social Scientist will play a critical role in supporting 1) the NIST Hurricane Maria Program in its ongoing investigation and study of the impacts of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico, as well as the subsequent recovery, 2) the study of Hurricane Fiona, and 3) the NIST Community Resilience Program in its research program focused on providing communities with the science-based tools and guidance they need to improve performance. The candidate will join NIST's world-class research team in Community Resilience and will be responsible for developing, conducting, and reporting on research in the field of social science for NIST work in disaster and failure studies and community resilience. For more about the Hurricane Maria Program, https://www.nist.gov/disaster-failure-studies/hurricane-maria-program and Community Resilience Program, https://www.nist.gov/topics/community-resilience The Research Social Scientist will provide technical expertise on resilience-related social science, including the application of a range of quantitative and qualitative methods for the measurement of community impacts, recovery, and resilience; the generation of guidance related to the science of longitudinal recovery measurement and organizational practices to improve recovery and resilience; and the use of novel approaches for characterizing the interconnectedness of social and physical systems. The candidate will support data collection, management, and analysis (e.g., statistical, geospatial, qualitative); publication of findings and supporting products from investigations and studies; and the development and application of survey and interview instruments for disaster field studies. The Research Social Scientist will also participate in field studies, technical investigations, and disaster reconnaissance data collection, as needed. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Basic Requirements A. Degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. OR C. Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field. In addition to the basic requirements listed above, all applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-09 level (ZP-II for NIST employees). Specialized experience is defined as experience in the following: 1. Applying qualitative and quantitative social science methodologies from disciplines such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, or geography. 2. Using statistical analysis software to analyze data on topics such as disasters, climate change, or natural hazards. 3. Conducting and communicating research findings. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR Combination of specialized experience and graudate education. 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 Education This position allows applicants to qualify with education. 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 prior to a final offer of employment. Education completed outside of the U.S. must be evaluated by an accredited organization 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 a course by course listing) is required with your application. Additional Information This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS). The APMS is a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Find out 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 in order to make qualification or eligibility determinations. A trial period the length of the appointment may be required. This appointment may be extended up to six years without further competition. The term appointment may be converted to a permanent position without additional competition If the selection results in a temporary promotion, it can be extended not to exceed 5 years or made permanent without further competition. We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. 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 Child and elder-care resources On-site childcare center Lactation spaces Wellness programs Fitness center Employee assistance programs