Physical Scientist

Summary You will serve as a Supervisory Interdisciplinary (General Engineer/Physical Scientist/Mathematician) with Bureau of Reclamation. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment. Duty Location: Sacramento, CA Engineers are on a Special Rate Table: $133,359 - $160,638 All other series fall under the Sacramento Pay Table: $117,984 - $153,382 Major Duties Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Leads development, calibration, validation, and application of water resources models including CALSIM 3, DSM2, SCHISM, HEC-RAS, water temperature, hydrology, and water quality models for CVP and Delta operations. Provides technical authority and policy guidance on systemwide water modeling issues to senior leadership and interagency partners. Designs and reviews complex studies incorporating hydrology, water supply, water quality, temperature, climate change, environmental standards, and compliance requirements. Oversees the entire modeling program including system operations, hydrologic, groundwater/surface water, temperature, power, and fisheries modeling systems. Establishes, maintains, and enforces modeling standards, technical adequacy requirements, QA/QC processes, and complete documentation practices. Identifies modeling capability gaps, evaluates modeling systems used by external partners, and ensures alignment and integration across programs. Applies statistical analysis, optimization, scenario evaluation, and decision-support methodologies to generate defensible analytical outputs. Translates complex scientific modeling results into executive-ready materials, policy recommendations, and operational decision information. Supervises engineers, scientists, and technical specialists through performance management, workload planning, training, hiring actions, discipline, and staff development. Ensures equitable access to training, recognition, promotion, and development opportunities through active implementation of EEO and inclusive leadership principles. Resolves workplace issues, grievances, and process barriers to improve organizational efficiency and mission delivery. Represents BOR in technical negotiations with Federal, State, local, tribal, NGO, and contractor partners on sensitive water operations and modeling issues. Develops technical specifications and contract requirements for model development or enhancement and oversees contractor performance. Monitors scientific literature, incorporates emerging modeling techniques, and ensures application of state-of-the-science methodologies. Represents BOR in public meetings, interagency forums, regulatory settings, and litigation support requiring defense of modeling assumptions and results. Education This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. Requirements Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. 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 Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment. 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. This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period. *Additional Requirements located under qualifications* Evaluations 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. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Hydrology Leadership Modeling and Simulation Oral Communication Strategic Thinking 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. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. What to Expect Next You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. You can find your path with the Department of Interior at Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement. Required Documents The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/24/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: Complete All Required Assessments. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from or call View phone number on click.appcast.io. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices. Other Information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. Physical Demands/Work Environment: Most of the work is in an office environment, but field trips may be necessary to review projects, collect information, and meet with collaborators. Occasionally, work will require walking, bending, climbing, and driving, sometimes at high elevations in rugged terrain and/or over a broad range of temperature and climatic conditions. Fieldwork may require special safety precautions and safety gear. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, This is an interdisciplinary position. Position may be filled as: General Engineer GS-0801-13/Physical Scientist GS-1301-13/Mathematician GS-1520-13 The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. #J-18808-Ljbffr