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Cartographer

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Recent Graduate
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at Harpers Ferry Center (HFC), Harpers Ferry, West Virginia-the
interpretive design center for the National Park Service (NPS). This position will serve the full range of these mapping needs. All maps are designed to engage a broad spectrum of visitors.

The full performance level (FPL) of the target position that the Recent Graduate can be non-competitively promoted to is a GS-12.


Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/03/2020 to 12/12/2020
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$59,534 to - $77,396 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Harpers Ferry, WV
2 vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
WO-1614-HFC-21-10961937-DE
Control number
586198600

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Duties

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The major duties of the cartographer include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Translates complex information and concepts and renders them in simple, easily understood graphical form.
  • Designs maps and/or mapping styles for mobile applications and other online platforms and formats.
  • Develops and or updates maps in an orderly, accurate and easy to understand fashion.
  • Prepares both raster and vector map tiles; designs symbols and typographic hierarchies to maximize information legibility on maps; Designs maps and or mapping styles for different environments, including urban, desert, forest, etc
  • Designs maps depicting terrain, land cover, atmospheric and environmental effects, and three-dimensional buildings for print, digital, or three-dimensional digital environments.
  • Applies professional knowledge of geography, digital cartography, geospatial data, mapping software, and graphical techniques to meeting program objectives.
  • Follows accepted production steps in file development; ensures that assembled map elements are complete, accurate, and correctly organized.
  • Builds georeferenced vector base maps; selects and organizes geospatial data on map layers filtered by attribute; transforms map coordinate systems; and, applies appropriate amounts of line and polygon generalization.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Pathways participant agreement is required.
  • The entire period served under the Intern Program counts as a trial period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Recent Graduate Program Requirements:
  • Students MUST submit transcripts with conferred or degree earned date (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). If selected, official transcripts will be required.
  • An Individual Development Plan (IDP) will be completed within 45 days of appointment to track the Recent Graduates' career planning, professional development, and training activities.
  • Selectee will be required to sign Recent Graduates Participant Agreement.
  • Within the first year of employment, the incumbent will be provided a minimum of 40 formal hours of training.
  • The incumbent will be assigned a mentor within 90 days of appointment.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/17/2020-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience.

In order to qualify for the cartographer series, 1370, you must meet one of the following Basic Requirements:

Degree: cartography; or a major that included or was supplemented by at least 30 semester hours in cartography and/or directly related science, and related mathematics. Such course work includes, but is not limited to, cartography, astronomy, geodesy, photogrammetry, physical and geological oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, physical geography, and remote sensing. The 30 semester hours must have included at least 6, but no more than 15, semester hours of college level, non-business mathematics or statistics (i.e., college level algebra, trigonometry, calculus, or scientific mathematics or statistics requiring equivalent college-level courses as prerequisites).

OR

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in cartography, or a major that included or was supplemented by at least 30 semester hours in cartography, and/or directly related science, and related mathematics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.


Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

- AND -

To qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience must include the following activities: Organizing information in a spacial and geographic framework to communicate information as a map; researching and obtain obtaining geospatial data from public domain sources, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA, or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and evaluating the reliability and accuracy of geospatial data and reconciling conflicting information. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least - 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

You will NOT be considered under Pathways unless you provide supporting information from your school. Documentation may be provided in letter format from your academic advisor, school counselor, admission office, etc. to prove enrollment OR it may be provided in the form of several official documents from your school such as a copy of your official transcripts and a copy of your class schedule for next semester. Copies of documents from your school website are acceptable if they contain all relevant information as listed above. Letters from advisors or other school officials must be on school letterhead.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Open to the first 100 applicants or 12/17/2020whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

Hiring incentives may be used for this recruitment

Recent Graduates may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, a term appointment lasting 1-4 years), Interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment, please click here for more information.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement which specifies the conditions of your employment as we've indicated in this job announcement. You must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of your appointment. To verify that you do, we will require proof of your continued enrollment and good standing each semester or grading period throughout your internship. Failure to do so will result in termination of your internship and employment.

Physical Demands: Work is primarily sedentary and requires sitting, walking, standing, bending, and the carrying of small objects such mobile devices. Position requires travel to parks by air, train, or automobile. Considerable walking is required at parks to field check maps and collect point of interest information. No other special physical demands are required to perform the work of the position.

Working Conditions: Except for park site visits, the work is primarily performed in an office setting with normal everyday risks and discomforts. Work involves minimal risks and observance of safety precautions typical of an office setting.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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

A portfolio will be requested during the interview process.

Minimally qualified students will be referred to the supervisor in unranked order by veterans preference status:

  1. Preference eligibles having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more;
  2. All other candidates eligible for 10 point veterans preference;
  3. Candidates eligible for 5 point veterans preference; and
  4. Candidates not eligible for veterans preference.
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Cartography
  • Design
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technology Application

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