Physical Scientist

Summary

You will serve as a Physical Scientist with the Department of the Interior (DOI) AVSO.

The official duty station will be Lakewood, Colorado OR align with the selectee's current duty station. If applying to "location negotiable after selection", your official duty station will be based off your current DOI official duty station.

The salary listed in the announcement is at the Rest of the United States (RUS) level. The geographical locality pay will be determined at the time of selection.

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Duties

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This is a Merit Promotion announcement for career and career conditional AVSO employees, Career Transition eligibles (CTAP), and those who are eligible under the hiring paths listed above. Refer to Required Documents section for more information.

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

• Serves as an advisor liaison to the Appraisal and Valuation Office (AVSO) staff within the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Land Buy Back Program for Tribal Nations and its many Federal partners.
• Works with AVSO's Minerals Director to oversee Native American valuations, reviews, and assignments which frequently requires mineral and geological expertise throughout the projects' phases.
• Serves as technical authority for mineral valuations and valuations requested through the AVSO.
• Assists the Minerals Director in planning and conducting program sessions, information exchanges, and workshops for staff and Native American clients.
• Coordinates and assists in development and mentorship of junior staff concerning mineral evaluation techniques and matters unique to mineral markets.
• Directs and coordinates with organizations engaged in the development and implementation of plans and objectives to assure that actions are consistent with management initiatives.

Requirements

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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 possess 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 may be required to serve a one year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

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 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 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

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/03/2026 - 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.

Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

1. 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.
   OR
2. Combination of education and experience education equivalent to one of the majors shown in 1 above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to the basic education requirements, to qualify at the GS-14 level you must meet the following:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 level comparable in difficulty and complexity to perform the duties of a Physical Scientist. Qualifying specialized experience includes: reviewing technical mineral documents using professional practices of minerals assessment, market analyses, or minerals evaluation; utilizing detailed knowledge of analysis structures and evaluation standards and techniques; conducting processes using valuation practices and procedures and analyzing the impact of minerals values; providing technical instruction and recommendations on the development and maintenance of ArcGIS for Special Projects Teams; and developing and delivering informational presentations at hearings, conferences, and client and public meetings.

Please note there are no educational substitutions at this grade level.

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

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

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 work is primarily sedentary, but may involve some walking, stooping, standing, and carrying of light items such as paper and files. Some outside work requires walking on uneven ground, climbing stairs, using elevated walkways, and walking or standing for extended periods. Certain field locations may require short-term exposure to high levels of noise or dust or work in high-heat or inclement weather.

Work Environment: Work is usually performed in an office setting, although there may be occasional travel to client bureau/tribal offices, which may or may not include physical site inspections that could involve moderate risks. Since this position requires periodic official travel, the incumbent must meet all safety and other regulations pertaining to the site visited and the methods of travel.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.