NIST Expands Hiring Authority for IT Leads, Engineers, Scientists

The National Institute of Standards and Technology released new direct hiring authorities to allow federal hiring managers to skip some steps in the process to employ new information technology managers, general engineers and general physical scientists. 

“The expanded direct-hire authority will allow NIST to simplify and expedite hiring for managers in mission critical occupations,” according to a notice issued Thursday. NIST marked top-level scientific and engineering positions in Pay Band III through V as “critical shortage.”

Under the new authority, hiring managers could bypass certain laws governing eligibility preferences, including section 3309 through section 3318. Such laws are used to identify prospective candidates who should receive preference in hiring decisions, such as veterans and former federal employees.