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Hydrologist

International Boundary and Water Commission: United States and Mexico
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Serves as a Staff Hydrologist in the Water Accounting Division (WAD), Operations Department (OD) of the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC). Supports Water Accounting and Water Delivery missions through various disciplines such as program management, operational support, hydrologic modeling, program and scripting, and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) duties.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/10/2024 to 06/26/2024
Salary
$86,962 to - $113,047 per year
Pay scale & grade
GG 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
El Paso, TX
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
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DEST-12438033-24-LP
Control number
795041300

Duties

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  • Supports the collection, analysis, and interpretation of hydrographic information.
  • Participates in the planning, development, and conduction of hydrologic studies.
  • Develops, maintains, documents, and runs hydrologic/hydraulic models in software such as Riverware.
  • Processes time-series data (codes/scripts) using a variety of programming languages.
  • Facilitates annual agency flood operations training through development of scenarios and logistics coordination.
  • Completes water accounting analysis and reporting assignments regarding the ownership and delivery of water.
  • Reviews, processes, and coordinates water delivery schedule modifications.
  • Participates in binational modeling team meetings and group workshops to analyze water management strategies.
  • Performs market research, prepares solicitation packets, and reviews solicitation proposals for Water Accounting.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or Naturalized U.S. Citizen.
  • You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • You must complete and successfully pass the DHS required E-Verify employment verification check.
  • STATUS CANDIDATES ONLY: You must meet one or more criteria in the Area of Consideration section.
  • You must possess and maintain a valid U.S. Motor Vehicle Driver License, without impeding restrictions, that a U.S. State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory has issued.
  • You must obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation.
  • You will be required to complete an Immunization Declaration Form.
  • You may be exposed to viruses and bacteria; you may elect to receive preventative vaccinations against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid Fever, Tuberculosis, and Tetanus at the agency's expense.
  • You must be able to lift and carry up to 44 pounds unassisted, and over 45 pounds assisted; and must be able to sustain periods of substantial walking, bending, stooping, standing, crouching, stretching, and reaching.
  • You must possess or obtain and maintain, either upon or within 120 days of appointment, a Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer’s Representative (FAC-COR) Level I.
  • You must complete and submit the required U.S. Office of Government Ethics Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OFGE450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
  • You may be required to enter Mexico to carry out official agency business.
  • You may be required to work overtime.
  • You must maintain direct deposit of your federal pay.
  • You may be required to travel for official business with overnight stay, up to 20% of the time.

Qualifications

Qualifications must be met by 06/26/2024

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements:
  1. Degree: 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

  2. Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Experience: 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.

Applicants with related experience in hydrology gained through earlier Federal Government employment might have gained that experience in one or more occupational series. Such series include Soil Conservation, GS-457; Forestry, GS-460; Soil Science, GS-470; Civil Engineering, GS-810; Chemistry, GS-1320; Meteorology, GS-1340; and Geology, GS-1350. Comparable non-Federal experience may be given similar credit.

Minimum Qualification Requirement - For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website: Hydrology Series 1315 (opm.gov)

In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for this position at the GG-12 grade level, you must possess 1 year of specialized experience. The definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level in the federal service (GS/GG-11) or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

Examples of experience include responsible for the collection, analysis, and hydrographic information pertaining to agency water resources; leading and participating in the planning, development, and conduction of hydrologic studies; performing water accounting and reporting assignments regarding the ownership and delivery of water properties; independently addresses questions and concerns from executive agency leadership, stakeholders, and general public; contributing to the review, monitoring and/or processing of scheduled deliveries and modifications of waters on the rivers; training staff in the operation of river modeling software and serving as representative for the software; assisting in the development of annual flood workshops; monitoring flood flows and aiding on-site flood control personnel during flood events; supporting conversion, enhancement, maintenance; documenting legacy applications programs, water accounting databases, web pages and applications; maintaining the Enviromental Satellite Data Collection System (ESDCS);procuring equipment and services in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR); expressing ideas or facts to diverse individuals to convey technical, sensitive, or controversial information; preparing and presenting technical reports; and operating a motor vehicle.

Your resume must have complete information: Please ensure your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.

Time in Grade (TIG): Current Federal employees must have a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level to be eligible under Merit Promotion procedures. An SF-50 must be provided that verifies eligibility as stated in the Area of Consideration section.

Part-Time or Unpaid Experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.

Education

Basic Education Requirements:

  1. Degree: 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

  2. Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Experience: 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.

Applicants with related experience in hydrology gained through earlier Federal Government employment might have gained that experience in one or more occupational series. Such series include Soil Conservation, GS-457; Forestry, GS-460; Soil Science, GS-470; Civil Engineering, GS-810; Chemistry, GS-1320; Meteorology, GS-1340; and Geology, GS-1350. Comparable non-Federal experience may be given similar credit.

Additional information

  • If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (member-4 copy preferred) or other proof of eligibility that shows the dates you were on active duty and your character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are claiming Disabled Veterans' preference you must also submit documentation of disability (i.e. VA Disability Verification Letter) and the SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference." For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov ).
  • The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated in well-qualified by scoring 85 or higher on the assessment for this vacancy. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
  • The hiring agency may use this announcement to fill similar positions that become vacant in the near future.

How you will be evaluated

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

Time in Grade (TIG): Current Federal employees must have a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level to be eligible under Merit Promotion procedures. An SF-50 must be provided that verifies eligibility as stated in the Area of Consideration section.

CATEGORY RATING: Your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified and 3) Qualified. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities or competencies:

  • Hydrology
  • Oral Communication
  • Program Management
  • Technology Application


Your rating will be based on both your entire application package as well as the responses to the assessment questionnaire. Please note that if, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your category rating can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may lose consideration for this position.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 per cent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).

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