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Hydrologist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The minimum full performance grade is the GS-09 and will vary depending upon location.

This is an open and continuous announcement. See Additional Information section for more information. Applications will expire every 90 days. To remain active for consideration, applicants must resubmit their application. Positions may be filled at one or more duty location.

The salary amount will be adjusted to include a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

These positions are located in Alaska, Region 10.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/21/2022 to 05/29/2023
Salary
$42,491 to - $52,636 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Anchorage, AK
Cordova, AK
Craig, AK
Girdwood, AK
Remote job
No
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
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses, or a recruitment or relocation incentive in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Positions filled maybe full-time; full-time seasonal 18/8 or 13/13
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - The full performance grade of positions filled will be the GS-09 or GS-11.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-R10OCR-HYDR-1315-5-7F-DP
Control number
690371500

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Duties

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  • Duties are listed at the minimum full performance level, GS-09.
  • Conducts and interprets hydrological surveys and analyses, watershed rehabilitation and management planning, and provides technical guidance.
  • Collects, analyzes, and interprets watershed data for input to environmental reports.
  • Conducts water resource inventories following established procedures to assemble data bases required to support management programs and Forest planning.
  • Plans, conducts, and reports on assigned parts of hydrological interpretive studies which typically adhere to established techniques and conventional methods of investigation.
  • Participates with higher level project hydrologists in the development of project proposals or descriptions, which summarize critical information relating to the objective, approach, funding, and expected results of proposed investigations.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
  • The position may require that the incumbent must possess and maintain a valid state driver?s license.
  • Incumbent may access operations using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), watercraft, and/or aircraft.
  • As a field-going position working in brown or black bear habitat, this position is required to be firearm certified for personal and/or crew safety.

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.
  • This is a test designated position. You will be subject to preemployment and random testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
  • This position requires initial and continuing qualifications in the use of firearms as outlined in the Gun Control Act of 1968, amended by the Lautenberg Amendment of 1996.

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 Requirement:

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

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

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below for the GS-07.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-07 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level defined as one or more of the following: Gathering, consolidating, and preparing data for charts, lists of study findings, and statistical tables; Operating technical equipment or instruments to take readings and perform routine testing tasks under the direction of a supervisor; Assisting in the preparation of technical reports, including assisting in the analysis of data and test findings; OR Assisting in analysis of environmental effects of earth disturbing or other human activities on hydrologic resources;

OR

One full year of graduate level education in a hydrological program of study;

OR

A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above that together meets the qualification requirements for this position;

OR

Superior academic achievement (SAA) with a bachelor's degree in a field that is qualifying for this position and one of the following: graduated in the upper third of the college graduating class; member of a national honor society (excluding freshman honor society); has a 3.0 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or had 3.5 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 on the average of all required courses completed in the major or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, i.e., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9).

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 above for education that may be qualifying for a specific grade level.

Additional information

THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at https://fsoutreach.gdcii.com/Outreach.

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.

Positions filled will be full-time; or full-time seasonal with either 13 pay periods of guaranteed pay status and 13 pay periods of nonpay time or 18 pay periods of guaranteed pay status and 8 pay periods of nonpay time.

You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses, or a recruitment or relocation incentive in accordance with agency policy.

The salary amount will be adjusted to include a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). A gradually reducing COLA will continue to be paid after December 31, 2012. COLA will not be eliminated until 65% of the locality pay equals the frozen COLA rate. See the OPM website at: http://www.opm.gov/oca/cola/index.asp for 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.

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.


This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

This is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government Housing may be available.

The salary amount will be adjusted to include a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). A gradually reducing COLA will continue to be paid after December 31, 2012. COLA will not be eliminated until 65% of the locality pay equals the frozen COLA rate. See the OPM website at: http://www.opm.gov/oca/cola/index.asp for additional information.

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 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/11729250

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