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Hydrologist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is with the Craig Ranger District located in Thorne Bay, Alaska.

The incumbent serves as a Hydrologist responsible for conducting and interpreting hydrologic surveys and analysis, watershed rehabilitation and management planning.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Mark Pentecost at brian.pentecost@usda.gov.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/27/2023 to 12/06/2023
Salary
$52,636 to - $64,384 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Locations
3 vacancies in the following locations:
Girdwood, AK
Juneau, AK
Ketchikan, 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 in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
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
24-R10QTR1-1315-07-09-F-DP
Control number
762449600

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Duties

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  • Duties listed below are at the full performance level, GS-09
  • 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.
  • Collects and analyzes hydrologic data relating to groundwater, surface-water, and/or quality-water determining apparent reasons for data anomalies, and correlating the wide variety of factors that affect the information presented.
  • 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.
  • Prepares reports of findings, summarizing the results of hydrologic investigations.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • This position is required to carry a firearm.
  • 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.
  • This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
  • 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.

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:
GS-1315 - Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement as defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315/.

Degree: 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 a major field of study in 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 -- coursework as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. The following is illustrative of acceptable experience: field or laboratory work that would require application of hydrologic theory and related sciences such as geology, geo-chemistry, geophysics, or civil engineering to making observations, taking samples, operating instruments, assembling data from source materials, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings orally and in writing. In some cases, professional scientific experience that is not clearly water resource experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience.

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-7 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level defined as one or more of the following:

  • Gathered, consolidated, and prepared data for charts, lists of study findings, and statistical tables;
  • Operated technical equipment or instruments to take readings and perform routine testing tasks, under the direction of a supervisor;
  • Assisted in the preparation of technical reports, including assisting in the analysis of data and test findings; OR
  • Assisted in analysis of environmental effects of earth disturbing or other human activities on hydrologic resources.
OR
One full year of graduate level education leading to a master's degree in a hydrological program of study.

OR
An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR
Superior Academic Achievement (to determine if you are eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

For the GS-9 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level defined as one or more of the following:
  • Assisted senior hydrologists by carrying out routine projects;
  • Assisted in implementing well-established hydrology programs or projects;
  • Assisted with assessing the water resource capability/suitability and identifying goals and concerns for water resource management;
  • Conducted water resource inventories and prepared the resulting data for application into the land management planning process; OR
  • Assisted with water resource inventories following established procedures to assemble databases required to support management programs and planning;
OR
A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a hydrological program of study, LL.B. or J.D., if related;

OR
An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

Education

See above for education requirement(s) for this position

Additional information

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.

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 non-bargaining unit position.

Government Housing may be available.

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/12220783

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