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

Physical Scientst

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 Physical Scientist GS-1301 is being used to fill this position.

This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months with possible extensions up to a total of 4 years without further competition. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status in the Federal service.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/21/2020 to 09/25/2020
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$139,037 to - $170,800 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Denver, CO
Reston, VA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel 1 to 5 nights per month for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - 13 Months
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
USGS-RES-20-10918913-DE-SR
Control number
579375700

Duties

Help

As a Physical Scientist within the National Climate & Adaptations Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Chairing the Federal Steering Committee for the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), including overall responsibility for tactical decisions for NCA5. This includes content, organization, technical accuracy and cross-report consistency/coordination.
  • Updating and consulting on the status of the National Climate Assessment and other closely associated sustained assessment products.
  • Proposing agenda items, briefing the FAC on status and challenges, and recommending implementation measures in response to FAC advice and recommendations.
  • Overseeing the activities of key inter-agency working groups (IWGs) of the US Global Change Program (USGCRP). The IWGs for which the incumbent will have most responsibility in overseeing are the Indicators Working Group, the Sustained Assessment Inter-agency Working Group, and the Scenarios and the Interpretive Science Coordinating Group. These IWGs are addressing, respectively, the development and utilization of climate change indicators for USGCRP; long-term strategic direction for the sustained assessment process, including plans for special topical reports and future NCAs; and the development of scenario information to inform both NCA5 and future assessment activities.
  • The selectee will be required to travel to meet and coordinate with regional author teams and stakeholders to inform the rich set of sub-national information that is expected in NCA5. As the NCA5 Director, manages a team of contractors and Federal detailees who make up the National Climate Assessment and Sustained Assessment team at USGCRP.

Salary
$139,037 (Step 01) to $170,800 (Step 10);
NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  3. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year trial period.
  4. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?
  • This vacancy is limited to the first 50 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.
  • 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 selected for this position, you may be required to file one or more financial statements upon reporting and annually, some of which may be subject to public disclosure.

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirement:

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

A. 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.

B. 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.

For GS-15:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-15 level:

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-14 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 conducting investigations that involved highly unstructured problems involving both difficult technology and complex human relations or programmatic issues. The results of these investigations had significant effects over a wide region of the United States, or may have included responsibility for new technology especially critical to the organization's programs. This work involved other recognized senior technical experts asking the scientist for advice or counsel due to his/her personal reputation in the field.

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

Other Information:

  • Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
  • 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.
Agency Benefits:

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 Physical Scientist GS-1301 is being used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration.

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.