Description

Summary

The position is located on the Black Hills National Forest in Custer, SD. The incumbent performs professional hydrology work, responsible for conducting and interpreting hydrologic surveys and analysis, watershed rehabilitation and management planning, and providing technical guidance.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Todd Butler at todd.butler@usda.gov.

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Duties

• The duties listed below are at the full performance level (GS-09).
• Assists in the development of land management planning related to hydrological evaluation.
• Operates, maintains, and collects data from hydrometeorological field instruments; performs field and laboratory measurements on hydrologic characteristics.
• Responsible for data compilation and quality assurance for hydrometeorological data, including streamflow, temperature, and rainfall data.
• Prepares and processes sediment samples to determine sediment characteristics using gravimetric methods, as well as miscellaneous other sediment-related analyses.
• Develops and implements quality control and assurance plans for the laboratory, and analyzes hydrologic data to determine the causes of data anomalies.
• Evaluates data quality and assembles data bases required to support research studies. Prepares reports of findings for assigned parts of studies.
• Develops, maintains, and trouble-shoots software used at various stages in sample processing and reporting, as well as software used in processing and documenting other hydrologic data from monitoring sites.

Requirements

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 Series:

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 listed above, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-07 level: Applicants must have one-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following:

• Gathered, consolidated, and prepared data for charts, lists of study findings, and statistical tables;
• Operated technical equipment or instruments to take readings and perform routine testing tasks, under the direction of a supervisor;
• Assisted in the preparation of technical reports, including assisting in the analysis of data and test findings; and/or
• Assisted in analysis of environmental effects of earth disturbing or other human activities on hydrologic resources.

OR

Applicants must have one full year of graduate level education (coursework directly related to position being filled);

OR

An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience;

OR

Superior Academic Achievement (click the link to determine if you are eligible: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/

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

• Assisted senior hydrologists by carrying out routine projects;
• Assisted in implementing well-established hydrology programs or projects;
• Helped in assessing the water resource capability/suitability and identifying goals and concerns for water resource management;
• Conducted water resource inventories and prepared the resulting data for application into the land management planning process; and/or
• Assisted in water resource inventories following established procedures to assemble databases required to support management programs and planning.

OR

A Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree 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.

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.

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.

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.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

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.

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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.

Benefits

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.