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Hydrologist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Pay will be adjusted to include an additional 4.40% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

This position is with the Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest, Craig Ranger District, located in Craig, AK. This position serves as an integral member and leader of the aquatics team for the Craig Ranger District.

For additional information about the duties of this position, contact Darrin Watschke at 907-826-1608 or darin.watschke@usda.gov

See Additional Information section for additional information.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
08/04/2020 to 08/14/2020
Salary
$71,583 - $93,056 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Craig, AK
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel is to attend meetings and training sessions, or for field work or site visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
20-R10-10881885-FS-MM
Control number
575314000

Duties

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  • Provide support for a wide variety of land management programs including timber, watershed restoration and recreation management.
  • Provide expertise in watershed restoration planning, watershed protection, and stream restoration within the framework of multi-use management.
  • Design and implement restoration projects utilizing contracts and partnerships.
  • Provide advice and develop plans related to the protection and management of aquatic resources including stream restoration, fish passage, stream inventory, stream productivity, stream function, physical characteristics etc.
  • Conduct hydrologic analysis for cooperative watershed projects, while consulting with other resource specialists in assessing the impacts of proposed programs and projects on watershed values.
  • Participate in hydrologic/geomorphic investigations required for planning and design of timber and landscape level projects such as stream condition surveys, wetlands delineation, erosion surveys and road condition surveys.
  • Function as an interdisciplinary NEPA specialist in the development of environmental assessments or environmental impact statements.
  • Conduct wetland delineations according to established protocols. Inventory existing erosion problems and assess the potential for proposed land use projects to affect stream health, water quality, wetlands and erosion rates.
  • Supervise permanent and seasonal hydrology technicians (Supervision Less than 20%).

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
  • Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary 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 Educational Requirement for the 1315 Series: (For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315/)

-A. Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university in 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.

OR

-B. A combination of education shown above, plus related hydrology 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.

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

GS-11 Minimum Qualification Requirements:


You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Collected, analyzed, and interpreted watershed data for input to environmental reports; Participated as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning; Prepared and carried out water quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data; OR Participated in the development and implementation of stream restoration projects.

OR

Successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education from an accredited college or university leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to hydrology.

OR

A combination of successfully completed graduate level education related to hydrology as described above, that is beyond the second year or 36 semester hours of progressive graduate study and professional experience, as described above.

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 the Qualifications section for qualification requirements.

Additional information

For additional information regarding COLA see: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/nonforeign-areas/#url=COLA-Rates

This is not a bargaining unit designated position.

A recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination will be made at the time of job offer.

Government Housing may be available

Daycare facilities are not available


This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the 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 and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with the Forest Service. 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 leave without pay 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.

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 SM.FS.asc_tos@usda.gov

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).

Information on special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, and individuals with disabilities may be found
on the USAJOBS website.

This agency offers alternative and flexible work schedules.

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
  • 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/10881885

Forest Service

The Tongass National Forest was established in 1902 and covers nearly 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska. It is the nation's largest National Forest. The Tongass stretches nearly 500 miles from its boundary with the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in the north, to the Canadian boundary in the south. It is a forest of islands including the Alexander Archipelago, and the mainland. The unique forest landscapes of the Tongass vary dramatically in topographic relief and include a mosaic of forest, peat lands, steep rocky areas, glaciated mountains and other non-forested lands.

Alaska's magnificent scenery, vast forests, and abundant natural resources match the size of the forest. The Tongass makes up ninety percent of Southeast Alaska and is a land of glaciers, mountains, waterways and thousands of islands separated by straits and channels. The islands and mainland create 11,000 miles of shoreline where regal mountains rise from the tidewater to overlook a mostly undeveloped and isolated landscape. The geography of the Alexander Archipelago presents a transportation challenge and most of the Tongass is isolated from the continental road system. You will find yourself boating or flying in a floatplane to most field locations. Visitors arrive by cruise ship, ferry or commercial airplane.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center
Phone
1-877-372-7248 X2
Email
SM.FS.FSJobs@usda.gov
Address
USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

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