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Geologist

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Engineering Division, Geotechnical Branch
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: Serves as a Senior Geologist for the New Orleans District of USACE.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/08/2021 to 03/15/2021
Salary
$35,265 to - $100,739 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 12
Location
few vacancies in the following location:
New Orleans, LA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position approximately 20% of the time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is NOT authorized; however, a Recruitment or Relocation Incentive MAY be authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
SWGY219763528605HW
Control number
594466600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Management may select at any of the grade levels announced. This position has promotion potential to the GS-12 level. Promotion is never automatic. Promotion is based on the recommendation by the supervisor that employee meets all qualification requirements for promotion and is performing the full scope of the major duties stated in the target job description.

Duties

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  • Duties will vary depending on the needs of management and senior project engineers.
  • Performs advanced trainee level work with assignments designed to provide the competencies, skills, and experience required to perform the more complex work.
  • Work increases in difficulty, complexity, and responsibility as experience demonstrates full comprehension of assigned work.
  • The purpose of this position is to serve as a Geologist trainee leading through varying intervening positions of GS-05, GS-07, GS-09, and GS-11 to the full performance level GS-1350-12 position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • A 2-year probationary period may be required.
  • This is an Army Acquisition and Technology Workforce position. Successful completion of acquisition courses is required.
  • The GS-12 Level requires a Professional Geologist License to be obtained and maintained.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

GS-05 Specialized experience: There is no specialized experience required for the GS 05 position. Applicant must meet the basic education requirement of bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in 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.

GS-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience:1) Performing diagnostic tests for malfunctioning geological instruments; AND 2) Inspecting or monitoring geological projects. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).
OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as geology, geophysics, geological engineering, and geosciences.
OR Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR
(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR
(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-09 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience: 1) Inspecting or monitoring geological projects; AND 2) Preparing geological reports, sections, maps, profiles and logs on drill holes.This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).
OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as geology, geophysics, geological engineering, and geosciences.
OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-11 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience: 1) Performing geological surveys and investigations; AND 2) Assembling geology maps depicting stratigraphy cross-sections and/or soil profiles. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).
OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: geology, geophysics, geological engineering, and geosciences.
OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

GS-12 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience 1) Performing geological surveys and investigations; AND 2) Assembling geology maps depicting stratigraphy cross-sections and/or soil profiles; AND 3) Leading a team of multi-disciplined personnel.
AND
Have a registration as a Professional Geologist or Geoscientist (PG). (NOTE: You must upload a copy of your current registration/license.)

Qualification requirement: Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement. This position allows you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. Please see the explanations of education needed in the above paragraphs.

Education

Basic Requirement for Geologist Position: A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in 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 B. Combination of Education and Experience: Course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (Note: 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. 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. 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.) In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the requirements listed above in the Qualifications Section of this announcement.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Career Program (CP) 18 position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement for up to 90 days after the closing date of the announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
  • If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • A relocation incentive or recruitment incentive MAY be offered.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.

If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

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