Hydrologist

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Duties

• Provides technical advice on water rights applications and claims.
• Establishes best management practices, as appropriate, to prevent or reduce potential impacts and maintain water quality.
• Meets with state and local government officials, federal agency personnel, tribal councils, State Office officials and members of the general public to discuss hydrological issues.
• Plans and coordinates watershed analysis and determines the disturbance history and environmental baseline or evaluates projects involving resource impacts to watershed condition, stream function and water quality from multiple-use resource.
• Subject matter expert and point of contact for water resource issues and water rights at the Field Office.
• Responsible for planning and implementing techniques to maintain or restore stream function and water quality, monitor water use.
  
  

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• Direct Deposit Required.
• Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
• An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
• May require a one-year probationary period.
  
  

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Basic Requirements For The 1315 Hydrologist Series

Degree: 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

• Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
  
  

Evaluation of Experience: 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.

Minimum Qualifications for the 1315 Hydrologist Series at the GS-07:

You Must Possess One (1) Full Year Of Specialized Experience At Or Equivalent To The GS-05 Level That Is Equivalent In Difficulty And Complexity As Indicated By The Following Examples Which Are Performed Under Supervision By Manager

• Performing a range of standard tests to determine the chemical and/or biological components of water samples.
• Assisting with hydrologic data collection.
• Conducting water use inventories based on water rights.
  
  

OR

You must have successfully completed one (1) year of graduate education from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to the work of the position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts).

OR

I have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education described above in A and B, that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts.)

OR

I have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position as described above, from an accredited college or university, and meet one of the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement based on the following: (1) class standing (upper third standing in graduating class based on completed courses); (2) grade-point average (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum); or (3) election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. (Note: You must provide a copy of your transcripts).

Minimum Qualifications for the 1315 Hydrologist Series at the GS-09:

You Must Possess One (1) Full Year Of Specialized Experience At Or Equivalent To The GS-07 Level That Is Equivalent In Difficulty And Complexity As Indicated By The Following Examples Which Are Performed Under Supervision By Manager

• Planning hydrologic studies to determine the condition of water resources.
• Utilizing relational databases and related applications to maintain hydrologic data for planning analyses;
• Providing information on water resource management to customers;
• Preparing scientific and technical reports on hydrologic related study findings.
  
  

OR

You must possess two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree OR master's or equivalent graduate degree. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts).

OR

You must possess an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

Minimum Qualifications for the 1315 Hydrologist Series at the GS-11:

You Must Possess One (1) Full Year Of Specialized Experience At Or Equivalent To The GS-09 Level That Is Equivalent In Difficulty And Complexity As Indicated By The Following Examples Performed Independently Without Supervision

• Collecting and analyzing hydrologic data;
• Applying hydrology, geology, or geochemistry principles in resolving complex water issues;
• Delivering presentations or training others on scientific or technical information related to hydrology;
• Partnering with state, local, and tribal land managers to ensure water resources management practices are consistent with state, federal, and local policies.
  
  

OR

You must possess three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to the work of the position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts).

OR

You must possess an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement which requires that you have a degree 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 plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If 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 or Student Loan Repayment.

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• Help Help 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

• Hydraulic Engineering
• Hydrology
• Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
• Writing
  
  

In order 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 the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.