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Geodesist

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

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

This position is being advertised concurrently with the following announcement - Open to current or former Federal employees: USGS-SAC-22-11299966-ST-LL

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
03/07/2022 to 03/25/2022
Salary
$79,363 to - $122,683 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Flagstaff, AZ
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
13
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-22-11289270-DE-LL
Control number
638771100

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Duties

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Salary:

  • GS-12: $79,363 (Step 01) to $103,176 (Step 10)
  • GS-13: $94,373 (Step 01) to $122,683 (Step 10)

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Duties:
As a Geodesist within the Astrogeology Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Modifies standard planetary mapping procedures to develop new planetary topographic mapping techniques and provide support to planetary geospatial projects.
  • Serve as a technical expert regarding reference frames, coordinate systems, control networks, and photogrammetric methods and techniques to scientists, managers and officials within Astrogeology, USGS and other NASA affiliated research centers.
  • Conducts cartographic studies and analyses in such areas as computer mapping, computer vision, data visualization, geospatial technology, information science, data production, data application, technical planning/standards, quality control, and contract services.
  • Develop and test digital photogrammetric procedures to perform automated and interactive point selection; bundle adjustment and automatic extraction of digital terrain data using planetary data sets with peculiar or severe geometries.
  • Write comprehensive reports that include technically authoritative findings and recommendations
  • Plans and presents proposals, ensure project commitments are met and monitors financial reports throughout the fiscal year for accuracy and fund management.
Physical Demands:
Work is largely sedentary, but must be able to handle oversize maps, atlases, and other source materials, and spend lengthy periods working at a computer terminal. Manual dexterity, keen eyesight and color perception are necessary to the operation of the SOCET set photogrammetric system.

Work Environment:
Work is done principally in an office, seated at a computer, or standing at a light table. Occasional travel is required to libraries, and to national and international meetings.

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.
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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

Basic Education Requirement:
Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic requirement for Geodesist, all grade levels.

  1. I have successfully completed all requirements for a bachelor's or higher degree in geodesy, that included 30 semester hours in geodesy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, engineering science, surveying, geodetic surveying, photogrammetry, or geophysics. The coursework must have included differential and integral calculus. **OR
  2. I possess a combination of education and experience--coursework equivalent to a major (30 semester hours in geodesy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, engineering science, surveying, geodetic surveying, photogrammetry, or geophysics) including differential and integral calculus, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For GS-12:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in applying geodetic or photogrammetric principles to geospatial problems that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

Examples of such experience may include planning and executing complex geodetic or photogrammetric studies, which usually involved intensive investigations into recognized phenomena. This work typically involved application of conventional geodetic, photogrammetric, and/or software development methods and techniques, though it required going beyond clear precedents to adapt methods to the problems at hand and interpret findings in terms of their scientific significance. At this level, geodesists have a very good knowledge of physical principles and their application, and the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty.

For GS-13:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in applying geodetic or photogrammetric principles to geospatial problems that is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

Examples of such experience include planning, executing and reporting on original or ongoing geodetic or photogrammetric studies requiring a fresh approach to resolve new problems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. At this level, scientists have extensive knowledge of the principles of geodesy and/or photogrammetry, exhibit a highly developed ability in their application, and have wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility.

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.
  • 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.
Agency Benefits:

How you will be evaluated

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

--Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:

  • Information Management, Scientific Knowledge, Technology Application, Program/Project Management, Teamwork and Interpersonal Communication.
--Basis of Rating:
Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified and Qualified. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

--NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11289270

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