Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to United States Citizens; U.S. Nationals; and Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Videos

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Surface Water: Performs a wide variety of stage and discharge measurements using appropriate techniques, equipment and protocols.
• Ground Water: Performs wide variety of water-level and discharge measurements from wells and springs selecting appropriate techniques, equipment and protocols.
• Water Quality: Performs field measurements such as water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen and alkalinity.
• Instrumentation: Installs, maintains, services, and assists in the configuration of a variety of sensing, recording, and communications equipment and instrumentation.
• Data Management: Enters, retrieves, edits, and analyzes hydrologic data using one or more of several databases, spreadsheets, and graphics software programs. Monitors water-quality sampling frequencies for timely data collection and reports discrepancies.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• A physical examination will be required, or a statement regarding physical ability will need to be completed.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 10 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/19/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Requirements for Hydrologic Technician, GS-1316:

Specialized experience: Technician or aid in engineering, earth, physical, or natural science, forestry, soil conservation, or surveying; Trades or crafts work in maintenance or construction of facilities or equipment related to hydrology; Drafting; and/or Construction estimating.

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Collected hydrologic field data (such as streamflow, groundwater, water-quality, or sediment data) using established procedures, scientific methods, and hydrologic monitoring equipment; Operated, calibrated, maintained, or performed routine troubleshooting and repairs on hydrologic monitoring equipment or automated data collection systems following established procedures; Reviewed, computed, verified, or processed hydrologic data using established methods or software, identified data discrepancies, and documented or corrected errors in accordance with quality assurance procedures; Prepared, maintained, or reviewed field notes, calibration records, station records, or other technical documentation to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and traceability of hydrologic data; Entered, maintained, validated, retrieved, or updated hydrologic or other scientific data in electronic databases or information management systems while following established quality assurance and records management procedures. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least one and one half years of graduate education (27 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of the position, with major study in any combination of scientific or technical courses. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Transcripts must be included. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• A Combination of education and experience.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position

• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job

• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Collect Scientific Data
• Compute/Analyze Data
• Information Management
• Scientific Instrumentation
• Scientific Records

If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, the agency will expand the group of candidates in accordance with the pre-announced supplement strategy and 5 CFR 332.402(f).

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.