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Hydrologist, GS-1315-11/12 (MP-BB)

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Note:  Duty location was originally listed as Fairview, PA in Butler County but has been corrected to Fairview, PA in York County.  To be clear, this position is physically located in Fairview, York County, PA.  

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
08/07/2019 to 10/30/2019
Salary
$63,953 to - $99,652 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fairview, PA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Approximately 4-5 nights per month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses will be paid.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
RES-2019-0298
Control number
541891800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open only to current USGS employees serving on perm competitive service appts; OR current USGS employees, regardless of current status, who are elig for consideration under a noncompetitive auth such as those specific to 30% disabled vets, VRA, Individuals with Disabilities, reins-elig, Pathways Interns & Recent Grads who are elig for noncomp conversion, etc.; OR current or former employees who are serving, or previously served, on temp or term appt in a land mgmt agency.

Duties

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As a Hydrologist within the Pennsylvania Water Science Center (PA WSC), some of your specific duties will include:

  • Serve as a senior staff member of the PA WSC.  Serve as project leader or member of an interdisciplinary team. Plans, directs, and/or carries out complex scientific studies or significant components of very large studies, that describe and interpret hydrologic conditions in order to define, analyze, forecast, or describe both natural and human-induced hydrologic changes in the area. Investigative subjects include the hydrology of ground-water and surface-water systems and the water quality of those systems.
  • Serve as consultant and advisor to supervisors and other scientists of the office on matters pertaining to groundwater knowledge and assists in training inexperienced personnel in groundwater discipline including techniques of data collection and analysis. Represent the Office Chief at meetings and prepare replies to a variety of requests for information.
  • Prepare investigative project proposals and develops work plans and protocols which include consideration of previous experimental and theoretical analyses, evaluation of all available data from various sources, and the development and adaptation of procedures and methods of investigation. Write clear, timely, and authoritative interpretive technical articles and reports that document the objectives, scope, approach, results, and conclusions of water-resource investigations or selected elements of such investigations.
  • Serve as principal contact with cooperating agencies in the identification, design, planning, and conduct of water-resources investigations. Conducts or participates in periodic meetings with cooperating officials to discuss program potential, development, progress, and technical accomplishments.
  • Directs the work of lower-grade professionals and technical support personnel engaged in the establishment of data-collection networks, data-collection activities, interpretation of hydrologic and geologic data, and geophysical techniques. Undertakes other related tasks including special hydrologic data collection, processing, and interpretative activities as assigned.
  • Operates a government-owned motor vehicle as an incidental driver.
  • 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.  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

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Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

For the GS-11:

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 the GS-12:

Examples of such experience include planning and executing complex hydrologic studies, which usually involved intensive investigations into recognized phenomena. This work typically involved conventional methods & techniques though it required going beyond clear precedents, and required adapting methods to the problems at hand and interpreting findings in terms of their scientific significance. At this level, Hydrologists have a very good knowledge of the principles of hydrology and their application, and the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty.

  • 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: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs .

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.
  • 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:
Information Management, Leadership and Supervision, Program/Project Management, Water-Quality Scientific Knowledge, Compute/Analyze Data, Interpersonal Communication, Groundwater Scientific Knowledge, Modeling Knowledge, Technical Reports, and Written Communication.

--Basis of rating: 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, you will receive a numerical rating based on your on-line responses to the application questions. These responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible.

--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.

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