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Hydrologic Technician

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
Colorado Water Science Center - Pueblo Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

Salary: Pueblo - CO Springs locality pay
GS-6 Salary: $42,963 (Step 01) to $55,848 (Step 10);
GS-7 Salary: $47,742 (Step 01) to $62,063 (Step 10)
NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

This is being advertised at the GS-8/9 levels with the following announcement: USGS-DEN-23-11848651-DE-MBA

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/22/2023 to 03/08/2023
Salary
$42,963 to - $62,063 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6 - 7
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Pueblo, CO
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel up to 2 nights per month for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
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
USGS-DEN-23-11848650-DE-MBA
Control number
708204400

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Duties

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As a Hydrologic Technician within the Colorado Water Science Center, Pueblo Office, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Collecting hydrologic data including surface-water discharge measurements, water-quality data, and groundwater levels;
  • Configuring, installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting hydrologic instrumentation and communication equipment;
  • Computing and checking hydrologic streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality data;
  • Assessing site locations and field equipment;
  • Operating a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties.

Physical Demands: The work regularly requires considerable dexterity, agility, and strenuous physical exertion such as: climbing and/or working from tall ladders and scaffolding; work in areas where footing is treacherous such as slippery or icy river banks, steep rocky terrain, or fast-moving water; lifting heavy objects weighing 23 kilograms (50 pounds) or more, or crouching or crawling in restricted areas.

Work Environment: Office conditions do not require special safety precautions; field conditions may include extreme heat or cold, rain or snow, and hazardous conditions such as ice or flooding, or exposure to irritant or toxic chemicals. Work may require the use of special clothing or gear such as masks, coats, boots, goggles, respirators, or life jackets.

Requirements

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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 probationary period.
  4. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  5. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
  6. Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam.
Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?
  • If selected you may be asked to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as those related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
  • Driver's License/Driving Record - You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record.
  • Pre-Employment Medical - Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job.
  • 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.

Qualifications

For GS-06:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-6 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work as a technician or aid in engineering, earth, physical, or natural science, forestry, soil conservation, or surveying; trades or crafts work in maintenance or construction of facilities or equipment related to hydrology; drafting; or construction estimating if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-05 level work assignments: 1) Computing mean daily gage heights from water stage record charts, editing record tapes, and making corrections based on field observation notes; 2) Preparing maps showing well elevations and depth to water, hydrographs, profiles, and well locations. For examples 1-2, the work assignments involved some technical problems not previously encountered; problems involving concepts and methods for which guides and precedents existed, were resolved independently. General oral instructions relative to the time to be allotted to certain functions, expected time of completion of assignments, possible technical problems which may be encountered, and approaches that may be used in resolving these problems were provided. Other examples of GS-05 level work assignments include: 1) Installing, adjusting, inspecting, and servicing crest-stage indicators, well-recorders, and other instruments for the collection of ground and surface water data; and checking gage settings to ensure continuing accuracy of the records obtained from instruments; 2) Making technical studies of hydrologic data collected in the field, and preparing material for publication, such as, drafts, maps and other illustrative material; applying datum corrections to gage height records allowing for periods of ice effect, temperature variations, and precipitation; and plotting hydrographs and analyzing differences in hydrographs with earlier records, and making necessary changes. For examples 1-2, routine assignments that involved familiar conditions, concepts, and methods were made in terms of the objectives to be achieved without explicit instruction as to work methods. Assignments involving new, more difficult, or unfamiliar areas of work were given with more specific guidance. Explicit instructions were provided for solving technical problems involving unfamiliar conditions, methods, or concepts.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 1 year of appropriate graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in hydrology or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.

**OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and appropriate graduate level education (as described above) that is beyond the first 1/2 year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

For GS-07:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work as a technician or aid in engineering, earth, physical, or natural science, forestry, soil conservation, or surveying; trades or crafts work in maintenance or construction of facilities or equipment related to hydrology; drafting; or construction estimating if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-06 level assignments include: 1) Installing, adjusting, inspecting, and servicing crest-stage indicators, well-recorders, and other instruments for the collection of ground and surface water data; and checking gage settings to ensure continuing accuracy of the records obtained from instruments; 2) Measuring stream discharge utilizing various devices; observing and noting conditions that may have a bearing on stage-discharge relationships; making and compiling observations of the fluctuations of ground water levels in designated wells; and collecting water samples for chemical analysis. For examples 1-2, routine assignments that involved familiar conditions, concepts, and methods, were made in terms of the objectives to be achieved without explicit instruction as to work methods. Assignments involving new, more difficult, or unfamiliar areas of work were given with more specific guidance. Explicit instructions were provided for solving technical problems involving unfamiliar conditions, methods, or concepts.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 1 year of appropriate graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in hydrology or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.

**OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and appropriate graduate level education (as described above) that is beyond the first 1/2 year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

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

Reasonable Accommodation Requests:

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

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.
  • Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
  • 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 Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.
  • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

How you will be evaluated

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

--Basis of Rating: You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the occupational questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Hydrology
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Teamwork
  • Collecting Scientific Data
  • Information Management
  • Scientific Instrumentation
  • Computing/Analyzing Data
  • Scientific Records
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and occupational questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

--NOTE: Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11848650

Agency Benefits:

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