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Hydrologist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Announcement extended to 10/25/19

Position located on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in McCloud, CA. Provides professional hydrology expertise in the management and improvement of riparian/aquatic habitat within the framework of multiple-use management and provides professional National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and disclosure while working as a NEPA team member.

For information about this position contact Carolyn Napper at

carolyn.napper@usda.gov

or 530-926-9620

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/01/2019 to 10/25/2019
Salary
$51,440 to - $80,912 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
McCloud, CA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - May be required to attend meetings and training.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. Relocation benefits in addition to the basic expenses may be negotiated with selectee.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
20-0514-10614911-G-SH
Control number
547143400

Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance GS-11 level.
  • Perform supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.
  • Participate in hydrologic and soil productivity investigations and studies required for planning and design of multi-purpose projects.
  • Complete Environmental Analysis reports that assess the effects of management activities on watershed resources.
  • Consult with other resource specialists in assessing the impacts of proposed programs and projects on watershed values.
  • Makes recommendation on treatment of areas needing restoration or stabilization following disturbance by resource activities.
  • Analyze water and soil resource data to determine hydrologic, soil productivity and sediment transport characteristics used during negotiations and/or litigation.
  • Conduct hydrologic interpretive studies which typically adhere to established techniques and conventional methods of investigation.
  • Participate on interdisciplinary teams to evaluate the impact of management activities on public land.
  • Prepare reports of findings of interpretive studies summarizing the results of hydrologic investigations.
  • Foster an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement:
GS-1315:
Degree: physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical sciences, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work must have included at least 6 semester hours in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours in physics. Calculus and physics, as described above, are requirements for all grade levels.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Specialized Experience Requirement:
Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. The following is illustrative of acceptable experience: field or laboratory work that would require application of hydrologic theory and related sciences such as geology, geo-chemistry, geophysics, or civil engineering to making observations, taking samples, operating instruments, assembling data from source materials, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings orally and in writing. In some cases, professional scientific experience that is not clearly water resource experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

For the GS-09: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Assisted in the preparation of management prescriptions for protecting and/or enhancing the water resource; Conducted water resource inventories and prepared the data for application into the land management planning process; Implemented water resource improvement project plans and evaluated the impacts on the water resource; Assisted in the assessment of water resource capability and suitability and identifying goals, issues, and concerns for water resource management.
OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have received a master's or equivalent graduate degree that is directly related to the work of this position. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
OR a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience that is directly related to this position that together meets the qualification requirements for this position. Only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level.

For the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Collected, analyzed, and interpreted watershed data for input to environmental reports; Participated as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning, emergency burn rehabilitation, or similar projects. Followed prescribed project plans, applied conventional methods to analyze water samples and determine the causes of data anomalies. Prepared and carried out water quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data.
OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (coursework is directly related to position being filled).
OR a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience that is directly related to this position that together meets the qualification requirements for this position. Only graduate education in excess of 36 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See Qualifications Section for educational requirements for this series and grade(s).

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status (such as LWOP) is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.

Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email asc_tos@fs.fed.us.

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing is not available

This position is eligible for telework per Agency policy.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

  • Hydrology
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Research
  • Workforce Environment


Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10614911

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