Supervisory Hydrologist/Biologist

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Duties

This position is based in the Studies Section of the Washington Water Science Center (WAWSC) of the U.S. Geological Survey. The incumbent serves as the supervisor, overseeing the Water Quality and Ecosystems section conducting hydrologic studies, and reports to the Associate Director for Hydrologic Studies. The WAWSC collects hydrologic data and explores applications of these data and results of research to problems of hydrology, water supply, water use and ecosystems. The purpose of this work is to describe and appraise the water resources of the nation and to determine and explain their relation to national interest. The WAWSC is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nation's premier organization in the water resources field.

As a Supervisory Interdisciplinary Hydrologist/Biologist within the Washington Water Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

• Participates in selected aspects of hydrologic research and interdisciplinary investigations addressing groundwater, surface water, and marine water quality and ecosystem health by examining spatial and temporal conditions of water chemistry, physical properties, and physical and chemical conditions of aquatic organisms throughout the regional aquatic ecosystems.
• Writes scientific reports documenting the results of analyses and interpretations of the interactions between the physical and chemical dynamics of hydrologic systems on aquatic ecosystem health, across multiple scales.
• Provides consultation and scientific advice to the Center Director, works in partnership with the Center's Surface Water, Water Quality Specialists, and Hydrologists, and provides assistance to other center scientists on studies and research in the field of water quality and ecosystems health.
• Ensures the scientific and technical direction and merit of interpretive projects carried out by the section are aligned with the USGS Strategic Science Plan, by ensuring the technical adequacy and satisfactory conduct of all hydrologic studies, research, and related work in the section.
• Attends public meetings, conferences, symposia, and maintains contacts in the scientific community to stay abreast of water resource issues in the State of Washington and scientific advancements in the area of water quality and ecosystem systems.
• Exercises first-line supervision of personnel in the section and performs the following supervisory duties: has authority for recommending promotions, awards, disciplinary actions, recruitment and selection of candidates, training, full authority for granting leave, career development, evaluating and reviewing performance of personnel in his/her area of responsibility, and effects disciplinary measures when required.
• Operates a government owned or leased vehicle as an incidental driver.
  
  

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Key Requirements

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
• This position requires completion of a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period, if one has not previously completed.
• Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
• More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  
  

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

• Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
• A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
  
  

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR BIOLOGIST 401: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Biologist, all grade levels.

• Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. *OR*
• Combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position), plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
  
  

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR HYDROLOGIST 1315: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Hydrologist, all grade levels.

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours or the equivalent 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 or the equivalent in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours or the equivalent in physics. **OR
• A combination of education and experience-course work as shown in "A" above (30 semester hours or the equivalent in any combination of courses as specified in "A" above which must include at least 6 semester hours or the equivalent in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours or the equivalent in physics), plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
  
  

For GS-13: In addition to the basic education requirements as stated above, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equal to the next lower grade level.

Examples of this experience may include, but are not limited to: 1) planning and coordinating hydrobiology projects of considerable depth and/or breadth; 2) conducting interdisciplinary research on water quality investigations; 3) analyzing and interpreting by integrating biological and hydrological related project data together with novel and obscure problems; 4) developing new or significantly modified biological techniques, methods, or criteria related to water quality in estuaries, nearshore and surface water environments; 5) applying statistical analysis techniques and geochemical modeling to the analysis and interpretation of temporal changes and long-term trends in the water quality of streams, rivers and in the broad scope of hydrologic research. At this level, the Hydrologist/Biologist has extensive knowledge in applying interdisciplinary approaches, combined with experience in the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

• 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 completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs .
  
  

Additional information

Other Information

• A hiring incentive may be approved for this position.
• Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
• Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
• USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations.
• The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
• DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
• The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.
• THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
  
  

Agency Benefits:

• USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. 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.
• For additional information on our internal telework policy, please reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook at: https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies.
• Working for the U.S. Geological Survey offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
  
  

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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.
  
  

Review our 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.--Basis of Rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

• Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:
• Leadership and Supervision
• Scientific Knowledge
• Program/Project Management
• Interpersonal Communication
• Written Communication
• Technical Reports
• Additional Assessment Required: If you meet the eligibility and basic qualification requirements for this position a subject-matter-expert will perform a structured review of your resume to evaluate your knowledge, skills, abilities, and competences as they directly relate to the duties of this position. For this reason, you must include enough detailed information in your resume to support your qualifications as they relate to this position.
• A presentation may be required as part of the selection process.***
• NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.
  
  

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12430186