Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Hydrologist, GS-1315-11/12

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

*Are you a Hydrologist looking for a position in the Federal workforce? *Do you have a passion for providing customer service? *Do you want to be part of an important aspect of the Federal Government, helping with exciting and groundbreaking initiatives? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then this is the job for you! Come join the USGS and start doing the job you've always dreamed of!

Why Is It Great To Work For The USGS?
Embark on an exciting future! From the peaks of the highest mountains to the depths of the deepest seas, the U.S. Geological Survey has career opportunities that make a difference in both the lives of others and in the environment. Would you like to join the more than 10,000 scientists, technicians, and support staff of the USGS who are working in more than 400 locations throughout the United States? Apply today! As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems. The diversity of our scientific expertise enables us to carry out large-scale, multi-disciplinary investigations and provide impartial, timely, and relevant scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers related to: the health of our ecosystems and environment; natural hazards that threaten us; natural resources we rely on, and; the impact of climate and land-use changes. For more information about the USGS please visit http://www.usgs.gov

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

Salary:

GS-11 - $62,218 (Step 01) to $87,933 (Step 10);

GS-12 - $73,375 (Step 01) to $105,392 (Step 10);

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/27/2018 to 07/13/2018
Salary
$61,218 to - $105,392 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
FEW vacancies in the following locations:
Iowa City, IA
FEW vacancies
De Kalb, IL
FEW vacancies
Urbana, IL
FEW vacancies
Lees Summit, MO
FEW vacancies
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Overnight travel of 2 nights per month may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent - Full-Time
Work schedule
Full-time - Permanent
Service
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Announcement number
DEN-2018-0277
Control number
503633000

This job is open to

Help

Duties

Help

As a Hydrologist within the Central Midwest Water Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Plans, directs, and/or carries out complex investigations of the occurrence, distribution, and quantity of surface water in complex systems, often requiring field experiments and subsequent numerical simulation.
  • Collects, compiles and analyzes high-frequency hydrodynamic data for investigations of various aspects, including turbulence and mean flow properties. Conducts field experiments using Acoustic Doppler Velocimety (ADV), Particle Image Velocimety (PIV), and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP).
  • Performs difficult and complex features of surface water hydrology and hydraulics that require superior technical ability and judgement in the execution of surface-water investigations.
  • Manages, collects, visualizes, and analyzes hydrologic data using a variety of software tools.
  • Operates government vehicle as an incidental driver.
Physical Demands:

The work requires frequent physical exertion while conducting field portions of project work and with inspection of ongoing operations, including walking over rough, rocky, or uneven terrain; lifting and carrying equipment and supplies; and wading in streams in all types of weather.

Work Environment:

The work involves some degree of risk when conducting on-the-ground assessment of operations as well as exposure to moderate discomfort from such extremes as heat, cold, and inclement weather.


Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
  • More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  • Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
  • Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

  • Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
  • You will be required to operate a government-owned or leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possession of a valid state driver's license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide both of these.
  • This position requires completion of a medical examination at Federal expense.
  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: https://www2.usgs.gov/humancapital/sw/quals/1315.html.

If you are qualifying based on specialized experience, you must meet the requirements listed below:

For GS-11:

One year of appropriate professional experience in hydrology that is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience include independent responsibility for a well-defined study or for a phase of a larger study that required the planning and carrying out of routine hydrologic work. This work would have required the individual to select and make minor adaptations to procedures and accepted practices and handle unexpected conditions arising in the normal course of the work. At this level, Hydrologists have a sound working knowledge of the principles of hydrology and the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work.

For GS-12:I n addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in hydrology that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples include:

Planning, executing and reporting on original hydrologic studies or ongoing hydrologic studies requiring a fresh approach to resolve new problems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. At this level, Hydrologists have extensive knowledge of the principles of hydrology and highly developed ability in their application, and wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

  • 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.
  • Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/oars/quals/foreign.html.

Additional information

  • Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
  • Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
  • Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
  • USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations.
  • The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
  • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
  • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:

  • Collect Scientific Data
  • Program/Project Management
  • Scientific Knowledge
  • Scientific Instrumentation
  • Surface-water Scientific Knowledge
  • Technology Application
Basis of rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered

To preview questions please click here.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.