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Social Scientist

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
Fort Collins Science Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

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

This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months with possible extensions up to a total of 4 years without further competition. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status in the Federal service.

Salary:
GS-9: $63,271 (Step 01) to $82,249 (Step 10);
NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/10/2023 to 01/23/2023
Salary
$63,271 to - $82,249 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Fort Collins, 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
Term - 13 Months
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
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-23-11777909-DE-MBA
Control number
698842600

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Duties

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As a Social Scientist within the Fort Collins Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Planning and conducting assigned parts of social science studies which typically adhere to established techniques and conventional methods;
  • Maintaining an awareness and understanding of the latest state-of-the-art techniques, tools, and methods applicable to the conduct of social science studies;
  • Preparing reports of findings for assigned parts of interpretive studies summarizing the results of social science investigations;
  • Communicating scientific and technical information via the internet and presentations;
  • Operating a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties.

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.
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.
  • 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

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

-OR-

Combination of educationand experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field

-OR-

Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

For GS-9:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-09 level:

Possess 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education or master`s or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B or J.D.) in behavioral or social science or other directly related field of study.

-OR-

Possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 level. Specialized Experience for this position is defined as experience in carrying out social science projects in the context of recreational visitor management and public land planning; knowledge of recreational visitor monitoring techniques used on public lands; conducting targeted literature reviews; preparing summary technical reports of literature; and communicating scientific and technical information via the internet and presentations.

-OR-

Possess a combination of graduate level education beyond the first year of progressive graduate study and appropriate experience that together meet the qualification requirements of this position. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)

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:

  • Scientific Knowledge
  • Planning & Organizing Work
  • Collecting Scientific Data
  • Compiling/Analyzing Data
  • Written Communication
  • Information Management
--Basis of Rating:

Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well 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/11777909

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