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

Research Geophysicist

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?
Salary: GS-12: $82,694 (Step 01) to $107,507 (Step 10); GS-13: $98,334 - $127,835

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.There is currently only one vacancy to be filled; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available.

Open to all U.S. citizens under: USGS-SAC-21-11140966-DE-BC

Overview

Help
Job canceled
Open & closing dates
08/27/2021 to 09/17/2021
Salary
$82,694 to - $127,835 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
Vancouver, WA
FEW 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
Yes—Relocation expenses are authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
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-SAC-21-11140967-ST-BC
Control number
612535500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Open to current or former Federal employees w/perm comp status; OR those eligible under a special or noncomp appointing authority (e.g.,VRA, disabled, Pathways Interns & Recent Grads who are elig for noncomp conversion, etc.); OR current or former employees who are serving, or previously served, on temp or term appt in a land mgmt agency; OR veterans with preference or have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after approx 3yrs or more of continuous active service.

Videos

Duties

Help

As a Research Geophysicist within the Cascades Volcano Observatory, Volcano Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Lead and conduct research in volcano seismology and infrasound to assess the hazards related to potentially active volcanoes through an integrated program of field and laboratory investigations.
  • Plan, conduct, and interpret research based on seismological and/or infrasound investigations of active volcanoes in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, with a primary focus on volcanoes in the Cascade Range as well as elsewhere in the western U.S. and analogous volcanic regions abroad, in collaboration with other USGS and academic researchers.
  • Analyze and interpret seismic and infrasonic data to improve the understanding of the underlying volcanic processes giving rise to seismic/infrasonic signals.
  • Design, test and implement algorithms to automatically detect, identify, and locate seismic and infrasonic signals associated with unrest, eruption, and/or surface mass movements (e.g., lahars, avalanches, rock falls), with a particular focus on Mount Rainier.
  • Assist in the design, installation and maintenance of volcano monitoring networks.
  • Communicate results of research investigations to the broader scientific community as well as government official and local stakeholders.
Physical Demands: Must be able to hike long distances in isolated regions, often over uneven or steep terrain under extreme weather conditions, and carry a backpack of up to 50 lbs in weight.

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 probationary period.
  4. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
  5. Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam.
  6. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

  • 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 you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

Qualifications BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geophysicist, 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 that included at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.). **OR
B. A combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.), 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-12: In addition to the Basic Education Requirement listed above, applicants must meet A, B or C for GS-12 level research positions:

A. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in an appropriate field of study that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work, OR

B. At least 1 year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level, that is in or related to the duties described above, such asplanning and executing geophysical research in fields such as seismology, infrasound or landslide observations. This includes experience with the development and modification of computer programs in languages such as MATLAB, python, R or C. It also includes experience planning geophysical equipment installation in remote areas. The work must have been creative in the sense that it developed a basic principle, product, concept, method, approach, or technique, or provided a body of basic information that opened the way for a major advance in the discipline or field of science. This work may have been achieved by providing a method of solving problems, opening areas of research that provide the means of exploring the application of science in a major field. OR

C. Combination of successfully completed graduate level education beyond the second year of study in an appropriate field of study and appropriate specialized experience, as described above.

For GS-13:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement listed above, applicants for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 1 year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level that is in or related to the duties described above. This experience is typically performed at the post-doctorate level. This experience includes: planning and executing geophysical research in fields such as seismology, infrasound or landslide observations, and interpreting data and communicating results. This includes experience with the development and modification of computer programs in languages such as MATLAB, python, R or C. It also includes experience planning geophysical equipment installation in remote areas, as well as presenting the work at international conferences and publishing the results in peer-reviewed academic journals.

This experience must have shown creative and outstanding research that has led or can lead to major advances in a specific area of research. The work must have been creative in the sense that it developed a basic principle, product, concept, method, approach, or technique, or provided a body of basic information that opened the way for a major advance in the discipline or field of science. This work may have been achieved by providing a method of solving problems, opening areas of research or providing the means of exploring the application of science in a major area.

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.
  • The full performance level for a Research position is GS-15; however, promotion eligibility is dependent upon the scientific contributions of the incumbent as evaluated by a peer panel.
  • 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.
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:

If you meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements of this position, you will be contacted via email after the vacancy announcement closes and given 10calendar days to submit narrative responses that address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the duties of this position. You will be rated and ranked based on the information you provide in your resume as well as the responses you submit to the required KSAs. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position are as follows:

1. Ability to formulate and conduct original field-based research studies of volcanic, hydrothermal, and/or volcano-tectonic processes using seismologic and infrasonic techniques. Research utilizes modern seismologic and infrasonic methods to process and interpret data collected by real-time monitoring networks and/or portable deployments with specific application to detection of volcanic phenomena (e.g., explosions, surface flows, migrating earthquakes) and to interpreting seismic and infrasonic signals in terms of volcanic and/or tectonic processes in an observatory environment. Research also utilizes constraints from other related fields (e.g., geodesy, geology, geochemistry, imagery) in the analysis and/or interpretation of seismic and infrasonic data. Please include a list of journal publications, as well as descriptions of field-based research studies of volcanic and/or tectonic processes conducted over the last five years in which you have been a project lead or significant collaborator, and explain your role in the work.

2. Knowledge of and expertise in designing, implementing and testing algorithms to automatically detect, identify, and locate seismic and/or infrasonic signals associated with unrest, eruption, and/or surface mass movements (e.g., lahars/debris flows, avalanches, rock falls), including experience in the use of array-based methods and familiarity with the theory of seismic source processes. Include descriptions of specific algorithms you have designed, tested, and/or implemented over the last five years, including a brief description of the software, programming languages, operating systems and/or hardware tools you used in the development of specific algorithms and for visualizing the results. If relevant, describe the implementation of such algorithms into real-time or near real-time operation. Please describe your experience with real-time seismic acquisition systems such as Earthworm, Seiscomp and/or Antelope and how your algorithms interacted with those systems. Also include mention of any publications that resulted from this work. Lastly, include descriptions of how you or your colleagues used results from these analyses to infer volcanic source processes and any resulting hazards.

3. Knowledge of designing, installing, troubleshooting and/or improving seismic and/or infrasonic monitoring networks on volcanoes. Please describe your experiences in working with networks of seismic and/or infrasonic instruments, particularly over the last 5 years. Include mention of your role in the work (organizer, field-leader, participant) and the nature of the network (type of instrumentation installed, permanent vs temporary, real-time telemetered vs. recorded on site, goal of the deployment, etc.).

How You will be Evaluated continued in next section:

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.