Physical Scientist

Summary You will serve as a Physical Scientist with National Park Service Southeast Region, Office of Natural Science Studies located in Homestead, Florida. This is a Career/Career-Conditional appointment with a fulltime work schedule. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities At the full performance level GS-09 the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: The incumbent serves as a technical advisor in the physical sciences for one or more parks. The physical scientist is responsible for program development and implementation including field activities related to geology, soils, hydrology, hydrogeology, air quality, acoustics, paleontology, caves and/or karst formations. As directed, develops and prepares segments of the resources management plan dealing with the physical sciences. In concert with the supervisor or a higher graded specialist, prepares specific actions plans needed to manage and protect the physical components of natural resources. Unusual or difficult problems are discussed with the supervisor before carrying out assignments. Develops and maintains liaisons and effective working relations with related groups and individuals, agencies, and the public. Attends management and professional conferences and other events for the purpose of exchanging information and advancing advocacy for park stewardship. Carries out statistically valid data collection protocols for the monitoring of physical resources and the results of protection, mitigation, and restoration projects. Performs data collection using technology such as field electronic data collectors. Performs data entry. Conducts analysis of standard data. Makes recommendations to higher graded staff. Incorporates appropriate GIS technology into job to provide comprehensive and scientifically sound answers to inquiries from managers and others. Uses automatic methods of data collection, analysis or illustration. Inputs data into digital form and uses computer applications for data analysis, manipulation, and presentation. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 be able to possess and maintain a valid driver's license. Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required. Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. Ability to obtain/maintain MOCC and DOI aviation aircrew member certifications within 6 months of Entrance on Duty. Ability to operate small water craft less than 26 feet in length. Operation includes transport of personnel (including visitors), tools, and materials/supplies to job/work sites. In performing this duty, the incumbent may be required to have a current Department of Interior Motorboat Operator Certification Course (DOI-MOCC) certificate. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/16/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying. Basic Educational Requirements: Please Note: This position requires specific educational coursework to qualify. You MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable) in order to verify that the educational requirements have been met. This information must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Failure to provide this information may result in you receiving an "INELIGIBLE" rating. A. Degree: . Physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. You must submit transcripts . -OR- B. Combination of education and experience: Education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. -AND- In addition to meeting the Basic Educational Qualification requirements, applicants must have either A. Specialized Experience or B. Education (directly related) or C. Combination of Education and Experience to qualify for the grade to which you are applying. A. Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, 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: Performing assigned hydrology tasks; AND Processing field data utilizing database management and recording techniques; AND Performing program management to include administration of budgets, contracts, and personnel; AND Utilizing principles and techniques associated with measuring physical resources together with modifying or adapting standard techniques, processes, and procedures to access, select, and apply precedents and devise strategies to achieve program goals. You must include hours per week worked MUST MEET ALL. -OR- B. Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. -OR- C. Combination of education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first take . Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to the one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society. 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. Education 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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: Additional Information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. ( All 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, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Physical Demands: The position may require strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting and carrying heavy objects. The position requires the ability to lift 50 pounds. Some activities will occur in physically dangerous areas or settings. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time. Work Environment: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Assignments may be performed in potentially hazardous areas including steep slopes, rocky terrain, volcanoes, caves, fire lines, arctic environments, swamps, deserts, and forests. Flying in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters is possible. Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, submission of ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance (dates should match the dates on the SF-50s). The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.