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Summary This vacancy is for a GS-0603-13, Physician Assistant located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, NMC MEDICAL EVALUATION DIVISION. Duty location will be Martinsburg, WV. Responsibilities You will serve as a Physician Assistant, serving in a non-clinical, administrative role, responsible for determining if Merchant Mariners are fit for certification to ensure the safe operation of commercial vessels. This is a national Coast Guard program affecting 220,000 active merchant mariners with direct effect on global maritime safety and national security. The mariner population represents a large variety of health conditions that may present a safety risk to the marine transportation system. The variety of duties performed by merchant mariners requires a substantial and exceptional range and depth of occupational medicine knowledge Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: Evaluating the medical and physical suitability of medical certificate applicants as required for a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) Interpreting results of medical examinations and evaluations Reconciling contradictions, conflicts, and inconsistencies in submitted documentation Issuing medical waivers to applicants with certain medical conditions Conducting work in accordance with the Program's Mission Management System (MMS) Requirements Conditions of Employment All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume: Social Security Number (SSN) Date of Birth (DOB) Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position) Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. Key Requirements: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for suitability as a condition of placement into this position. This may include e.g., a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs". Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov A one-year probationary period may be required. This is not a Bargaining Unit position. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license and safe driving record. Time-in-Grade requirement must be met by the closing date of the vacancy. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit. Qualifications Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet the following basic requirements: Graduation from a physician assistant educational program, accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant (external link) (ARC-PA) or its predecessors, at a college, university, or educational institution that is accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained. Successful completion of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (external link) (NCCPA) examination; must maintain status as a certified physician assistant, including completion of all requirements for Continuing Medical Education (external link) (CME) and re-certification. Licensure: All applicants must possess a current, active, full, and unrestricted license or registration as a Physician Assistant from a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. A minimum of one full year of work experience as a certified physician assistant equivalent to the next lower grade level and completion of an accredited physician assistant educational program is required. To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Experience that demonstrates the ability to apply clinical knowledge- ideally in occupational or preventive medicine- to assess fitness for medical certification in a safety sensitive environment. This experience requires reviewing and analyzing medical documentation, such as physical examinations, diagnostic test results, and physician statements, to determine whether the individual meets the established standards for certification. The work requires a comprehensive understanding of general medical conditions and their functional impact, with particular emphasis on the risk posed by chronic, progressive, or potentially impairing conditions in hazardous work environments, such as those found in maritime operations. Experience should reflect skills in interpreting complex health records, applying regulatory guidelines, and making objective, evidence-based determinations that support public and transportation safety. NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. NOTE: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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 Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Education This position does have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. 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.), 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. Transcripts--If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Please ensure that all documentation is legible. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. Student Loan Selectee(s) for this position who are newly appointed to a permanent or term position may be eligible for student loan repayment up to $10,000 (pre-tax) for one calendar year. More than one loan may be repaid if the combined repayments do not exceed $10,000. Receipt of this incentive will require a three-year service agreement. Additional Information Any Offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Due Weight Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3). E-Verify DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Fair Chance Act The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to [email protected]. Suitability Statement If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Shared Certificates Statement Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Special Employment Consideration The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. Recruitment incentives may be authorized. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact [email protected]. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation