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

Physical Scientist, GS-1301-11 (DHA-PERM-EG)

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

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

  • The government-wide direct hire authority for Scientific, Technical, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Occupations Physical Scientist series, GS-1301-11  is being used to fill this position.
  • Salary: $70,181 (Step 01) to $91,234 (Step 10); NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/01/2020 to 05/02/2020
This job will close when we have received 25 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$70,181 to - $91,234 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Lakewood, CO
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Overnight travel of up to 3 nights per month is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
DEN-2020-0241
Control number
567209600

Duties

Help

As a Physical Scientist within the Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, some of your specific duties will include working with the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), a nationally consistent multi-temporal land cover and land change database at 30-m resolution. These duties include: 

  • Developing innovative land change monitoring methods that support studies of ecological and geographic processes.
  • Applying new techniques and methodologies for processing and analyzing geospatial and remotely sensed data to document land cover change.
  • Effectively communicate results by publishing peer-reviewed scientific and technical papers and reports in the open literature, and participating in professional meetings, symposia and conferences.  

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.

This vacancy is limited to the first 25 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered.  You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached.  Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. 

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.

Qualifications

For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/physical-scientist-gs-1301

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Physical Scientist, all grade levels.

  1. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

**OR

  1. A combination of education and experience--education equivalent to one of the majors shown in "A" above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science, engineering, or mathematics) that included at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science as described above, plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HEREFOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, you must meet the requirement below if qualifying on specialized experience:

One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.

Examples of such experience may 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 physical science 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, physical scientists have the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work.

This position requires:

  • Knowledge of image processing systems and procedures to analyze digital satellite data and generate and interpret spatial models.
  • Ability to locate and format digital data.
  • Proficiency in scripting models with ESRI and ERDAS IMAGINE software.
  • Knowledge of general scripting languages such as Python, Javascript, and R.
  • The ability to plan work procedures, develop schedules, and lead a team.

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.
  • 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.

--Basis of Rating: The government-wide direct hire authority for Scientific, Technical, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Occupations Physical Scientist series, GS-1301-11 is being used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration.  


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.