Hydrologist

Summary

This announcement is being advertised as a Forest Service National Hiring effort to fill multiple vacancies. Positions may be filled at one or more of the duty locations included in this announcement. Final determination of the duty location will be made at the time of the job offer.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Jason Armbruster at View email address on click.appcast.io.

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Duties

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• Duties are listed at the full performance grade level.
• Develops and orchestrates out-year and current year program of work priorities for the Forest-wide soils and water program.
• Advises Forest Leadership on these priorities, which are based on data collected and reported through the national watershed condition framework, watershed analyses, hydrologic function, soils inventory and assessment, and water quality.
• Works closely with other resource specialists, as well as District/Zone soils scientists and hydrologists on the Forest and in the Regional office to continually assess conditions, and design and implement program of work efforts.
• Provides hydrologic functional and technical support and advice to be used in development of the long and short range program for Watershed Management.
• Through program management guidance to soils and water Forest staff, ensures specialized hydrologic and soils advice to resource planners to enable Forest to meet Watershed constraints while carrying out planned resource activities.
• Provides quality control oversight while coordinating soils and hydrologist staff to review projects or activities on-the-ground to analyze hydrologic and soils impacts as a result of such activities.
• Coordinates riparian and/or in-stream restoration projects with fisheries to ensure whole watershed restoration and maintain water quality standards.
• Proposes local policy and regulation to cover the installation's unique problems which are not covered by state, federal, or higher authority/regulations because regulatory guidance is issued in general terms for command-wide application.
• Strategically develops partnership methods and agreements for watershed restoration and water quality through coordination with state and federal agencies, municipalities and non-government organizations such as watershed councils.
• Serves as an authority preparing reports on a variety of complex projects and or contracts.
• Reports involve analysis of data collected and the environment from which it was collected, and plans for corrective actions.
• Performs supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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. 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

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement:

GS-1315

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in 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

Combination of education and experience coursework as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-09 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level. SQualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following:

• Conducted water resource inventories and prepared the data for application into the land management planning process; and/or
• Implemented water resource improvement project plans and evaluated the impacts on the water resource;
• Assisted in the preparation of management prescriptions for protecting and/or enhancing the water resource.

OR

A Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree such as Hydrology or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

OR

An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

For the GS-11 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following:

• Collected, analyzed, and interpreted watershed data for input to environmental reports;
• Participated as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning; and/or
• Prepared and carried out water quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data.

OR

Successfully completed three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (coursework directly related to position being filled such as hydrology, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils).

OR

An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.) (coursework directly related to position being filled such as hydrology, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils).

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

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

Additional information

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. Final salary will be determined at the time of selection dependent on the duty location for more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional Information is available on the OPM Website.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed. Promotion potential will vary based on position filled and will either be at the GS-09, GS-11, or GS-12 grade level.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government Housing may be available.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

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.

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.