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Interdisciplinary Hydrologist/Geologist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Ramona, CA.

Serves as a professional Geologist/Hydrologist on Cleveland National Forest with responsibility for planning, administering and providing professional expertise in minerals, geology and hydrologic programs.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Emily Fudge at

emily.fudge@usda.gov

.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/30/2020 to 08/14/2020
Salary
$71,638 to - $71,638 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Ramona, CA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel for training and/or meetings. Also, project related work.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 13 Months
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
20-0502-10864106-DT-YRV
Control number
574973500

Duties

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  • Participate in hydrologic investigations and studies required for planning and design of multi-purpose projects, such as collecting ground water data and analyzing trends; analyzing and interpreting stream flow data.
  • Translate findings into long range prescription/plan for management?s use in watershed management/water yield improvement.
  • Study water resource data needed to support the management?s position during negotiations and litigation.
  • Investigate following fires to appraise damages to the watershed and recommend treatment for rehabilitation of the area.
  • Study results that include evaluation of data, trend analysis, and recommendations; and interpret the findings in terms of scientific significance.
  • Conduct geologic studies and investigations on a variety of projects where geology and mineral activities have an effect on development and/or management of forest resources.
  • Apply geologic principles to methods of prospecting, exploration, development, and mining and their related impacts.
  • Examine forest land and make assessment of mineral potential.
  • Develop, evaluate, and administer minerals management activities.
  • Participate on interdisciplinary teams to evaluate the impact of management activities on public land.
  • Coordinate with other resource specialists in assessing the impacts of proposed programs and projects on watershed values.
  • Monitor completed watershed rehabilitation projects to determine their effectiveness.
  • Determine the geologic limitations and capacities of projects in a specific geographical area.
  • Establish and maintain an up-to-date inventory of proposed rehabilitation projects by priority.
  • Conduct comprehensive investigations, evaluations, and reports on ground water conditions for water well sites, geologic hazards, and unique geologic resources, such as paleontological sites.
  • Assist in the preparation of discovery requests including responding to interrogatories, admissions, and document productions by coordinating with technical experts and personnel in the preparation of responses and technical analyses.
  • Participate in deposition preparation, depositions, trial testimony, and development of affirmative discovery.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service 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.

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.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series listed below.

Basic Requirements for the 1315-Hydrology Series:

  1. 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-
  2. Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

    Evaluation of Experience: 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.
Applicants with related experience in hydrology gained through earlier Federal Government employment might have gained that experience in one or more occupational series. Such series include Soil Conservation, GS-457; Forestry, GS-460; Soil Science, GS-470; Civil Engineering, GS-810; Chemistry, GS-1320; Meteorology, GS-1340; and Geology, GS-1350. Comparable non-Federal experience may be given similar credit.

Basic Requirements for the 1350- Geologist:
  1. Degree: geology, plus 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography. OR
  2. Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Acceptable experience may have been gained through geological field or laboratory work that provided a means of obtaining professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of geology and closely related sciences, e.g., geophysics, geochemistry, or hydrology. Such work generally must have involved making close observations, taking samples, handling various types of instruments and equipment, assembling geologic data from source materials, and analyzing and reporting findings orally and in writing. Experience that involved only one phase of geology work, e.g., collecting samples, would not be acceptable as providing the required professional knowledge of the theory and principles of geology. In some situations, professional scientific experience in other fields may be accepted in part as professional geological experience. Such experience must have been preceded by appropriate education in geology or by professional geological experience, and must have contributed directly and significantly to the applicant's professional geological competence. Examples include some positions in geophysics, mining engineering, soils science, physical oceanography, hydrology, climatology, biology, analytic or experimental chemistry, metallurgy, and comparable fields where the normal duties or results of investigations have been extended to the solution of geologic problems by the applicant. Ordinary functions of positions such as seismic, computer, petroleum or mining engineer, mine superintendent, or metallurgist generally are not considered professional geological experience. To receive credit for geological experience obtained in positions that are not full-time professional geological positions, the applicant is responsible for indicating clearly the actual time or percentage of time devoted to geologic duties within such positions, and for giving adequate descriptions of the geologic functions.
General/Specialized Experience (HR/SME): Review statement suggested by HR and/or describe the specialized experience required upon entry for the position. If you are recruiting for two or more grade levels, please describe the specialized experience requirements for each grade level. Note that your suggestion(s) may be edited by the HR practitioner to ensure it meets the guidelines and best practices for writing specialized experience statements.

For the GS-11:

You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Examples of work experience that meet this requirement include: Conducted geological studies and investigations on a variety of projects where geology and mineral activities had an effect on development and/or management of forest resources; applied geologic principles to methods of prospecting, exploration, development, and mining, including investigating and determining the geologic limitations and capacities of projects in a specific geographical area; and/or developed and analyzed data and prepared reports related to the responsiveness of implementation plans for environmental protection programs, including reviewing and coordinating the preparation of comments on complex environmental impact statements. OR Select standard methods and procedures to plan and carry out routine hydrologic projects. Collect and analyze data regarding water characteristics, rainfall, etc. used to make forecasts. Write hydrologic reports for NEPA documents.

OR

Completed 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree and the study wasobtained.in an accredited college or university.

OR

An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.) and the education was obtained in an accredited college or university. For a description of acceptable experience, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/geology-series-1350/

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

See Qualifications section for Educational Requirements

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 eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

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.

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing is not available

Daycare facilities are not available

This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.

This agency offers alternative and flexible work schedules.

Selections made from this announcement will be not to exceed one year in duration, but may be extended for up to 4 years based on workload and funds availability.

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications.

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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 up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10864106

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