USAJOBS - Job Announcement

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

This is an interdisciplinary position and can be filled as either a Computer Scientist or Geophysicist.

This position is being advertised concurrently with the following announcement: Open to all U.S. citizens under: SAC-2020-0079.

There is one vacancy; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available.

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Job canceled

Open & closing dates

01/27/2020 to 05/05/2020
Salary

$111,286 - $144,676 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 13
Location
- Menlo Park, CA Few vacancies
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - Overnight travel of 1-3 nights per month may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

No
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-Time
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

13
Job family (Series)

1313 Geophysics

1550 Computer Science
Supervisory status

No
Security clearance

Not Required
Drug test

No
Announcement number

SAC-2020-0078
Control number

557771000

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current or former Federal employees w/perm comp status; OR those eligible under a special or noncomp appointing authority (e.g.,VRA, disabled, Pathways Interns & Recent Grads who are elig for noncomp conversion, etc.); OR current or former employees who are serving, or previously served, on temp or term appt in a land mgmt agency; OR veterans with preference or have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after approx 3yrs or more of continuous active service.

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As a Computer Scientist or Geophysicist within the Earthquake Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

-Plans, develops, implements, and administers systems for the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of earthquake data.

-Designs and develops custom software components, and database management system solutions.

-Promotes timely software development through initiation of realistic design and development schedules, debugging techniques, source code management procedures, software engineering methods, and documentation procedures.

-Maintains, monitors, performs tuning of, and ensures integrity of database systems.

-Develops, implements, and maintains adequate managerial, operation, and technical security controls within computing hardware and software environments.

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Conditions of Employment

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.
More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record

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.
If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
MBI security investigation required.

Qualifications

GS-1313-13, Geophysicist

For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/geophysicist-gs-1313.
In addition to the basic education requirements, you must have 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Examples include: planning, executing and reporting on original or ongoing geophysical studies requiring a fresh approach to resolve new problems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. At this level, scientists have extensive knowledge of the principles of geophysics, exhibit a highly developed ability in their application, and have wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility.

GS-1550-13, Computer Scientist

For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/computer-scientist-gs-1550.
In addition to the basic education requirements, you must have 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Examples include: developing software systems using knowledge of techniques, procedures, and processes such as operation system theory, data structures, computer system architecture, software engineering, and computer communications; developing integrated computer systems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. At this level, computer scientists have wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform 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

A recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered.
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 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

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.

USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework 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.

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.

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

--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: Technology application, Compute/Analyze Data, Scientific Knowledge, Information Management, and Problem Solving.

--Basis of rating: 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, you will receive a numerical rating based on your on-line responses to the application questions. These responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible.

--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 questions please click here.

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.

USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework 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.

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.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

--If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) or list of course work, which includes semester hours earned and grade received, by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. This proof may be faxed, document uploaded, or hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Required Documents" and/or "Contact Information"). Please ensure that all documentation is legible.

--If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility, you must submit a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step by the closing date of this announcement or you will not receive consideration.

--If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, the Servicing Human Resources Office must receive proof by the closing date of this announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330 Subpart F for CTAP and 5 CFR 330 Subpart G for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. This includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Required documents may be faxed, uploaded, or hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Contact Information"). If you are a CTAP or ICTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you earn a minimum score of 85 (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference points). For more information on CTAP/ICTAP please click here.

--If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under a special appointing authority, the Servicing Human Resources Office must receive proof of eligibility by the closing date of this announcement. For additional information on special appointing authorities, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/non-competitive-appointment-information

--If you’re applying as a current or former employee of a land management agency i.e., Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, or U.S. Forest Service who is serving or previously served on a temporary or term appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (see: https://chcoc.gov/content/implementing-policy-guidance-land-management-workforce-flexibility-act), you must submit the following documentation by the closing date of this vacancy announcement in order to receive consideration:

SF-50(s), Notification of Personnel Action, that documents your service under competitive examining procedures in time limited appointments that totals 2 or more years at land management agencies; and
Documentation of satisfactory performance such as performance evaluations or references by supervisors or other documents, e.g., memorandums of record, whereas the supervisor documented an acceptable performance level.

--Required documents may be: 1)faxed to the Agency Contact (see "Contact Information") 2)uploaded directly from your desktop 3)uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments 4)hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Contact Information")

--Auto-Requested Fax: allows you to submit required documentation that will be electronically displayed along with your resume.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

--Applications (resume and application questions) for this vacancy must be received on-line via USAJOBS BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online resume, you will not be considered for this position. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Most libraries, employment offices, and all USGS personnel offices can provide access to the Internet. If applying online poses a hardship for you, you must speak to someone in the Servicing Human Resources Office listed on this announcement PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE for assistance.

--Instructions for Applying Online for this Vacancy Announcement: 1)Click the blue "Apply Online" button. 2)If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. 3)As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. 4)Check the "Certification" box and click the "Apply for this position now!" button located at the bottom of the screen. 5)Address the eligibility questions as well as the questionnaire containing questions and/or task statements that address the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies for this vacancy. 6)Submit required documents using one of the available methods listed below. 7) If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk.

Agency contact information

Earl Emerson

Phone: 916-278-9399
Fax: 916-278-9406
Email: pacsac1@usgs.gov
Address: INTERIOR, Geological Survey
3020 State University Dr. East Suite 2001
Sacramento, California 95819
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

--If you are rated as one of the most highly qualified candidates, you will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 30-45 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified via email of the outcome. You can also go to "My Account" within USAJOBS to review your Application Status.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Help

--If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) or list of course work, which includes semester hours earned and grade received, by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. This proof may be faxed, document uploaded, or hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Required Documents" and/or "Contact Information"). Please ensure that all documentation is legible.

--If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility, you must submit a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step by the closing date of this announcement or you will not receive consideration.

--If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, the Servicing Human Resources Office must receive proof by the closing date of this announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330 Subpart F for CTAP and 5 CFR 330 Subpart G for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. This includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Required documents may be faxed, uploaded, or hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Contact Information"). If you are a CTAP or ICTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you earn a minimum score of 85 (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference points). For more information on CTAP/ICTAP please click here.

--If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under a special appointing authority, the Servicing Human Resources Office must receive proof of eligibility by the closing date of this announcement. For additional information on special appointing authorities, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/non-competitive-appointment-information

--If you’re applying as a current or former employee of a land management agency i.e., Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, or U.S. Forest Service who is serving or previously served on a temporary or term appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (see: https://chcoc.gov/content/implementing-policy-guidance-land-management-workforce-flexibility-act), you must submit the following documentation by the closing date of this vacancy announcement in order to receive consideration:

SF-50(s), Notification of Personnel Action, that documents your service under competitive examining procedures in time limited appointments that totals 2 or more years at land management agencies; and
Documentation of satisfactory performance such as performance evaluations or references by supervisors or other documents, e.g., memorandums of record, whereas the supervisor documented an acceptable performance level.

--Required documents may be: 1)faxed to the Agency Contact (see "Contact Information") 2)uploaded directly from your desktop 3)uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments 4)hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Contact Information")

--Auto-Requested Fax: allows you to submit required documentation that will be electronically displayed along with your resume.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Help

--Applications (resume and application questions) for this vacancy must be received on-line via USAJOBS BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online resume, you will not be considered for this position. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Most libraries, employment offices, and all USGS personnel offices can provide access to the Internet. If applying online poses a hardship for you, you must speak to someone in the Servicing Human Resources Office listed on this announcement PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE for assistance.

--Instructions for Applying Online for this Vacancy Announcement: 1)Click the blue "Apply Online" button. 2)If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. 3)As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. 4)Check the "Certification" box and click the "Apply for this position now!" button located at the bottom of the screen. 5)Address the eligibility questions as well as the questionnaire containing questions and/or task statements that address the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies for this vacancy. 6)Submit required documents using one of the available methods listed below. 7) If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk.

Agency contact information

Earl Emerson

Phone: 916-278-9399
Fax: 916-278-9406
Email: pacsac1@usgs.gov
Address: INTERIOR, Geological Survey
3020 State University Dr. East Suite 2001
Sacramento, California 95819
United States

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

--If you are rated as one of the most highly qualified candidates, you will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 30-45 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified via email of the outcome. You can also go to "My Account" within USAJOBS to review your Application Status.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Interdisciplinary, GS-1313/1550-13 (SRM-MP)

Summary

Overview

Open & closing dates

Salary

Pay scale & grade

Location

Telework eligible

Travel Required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Work schedule

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Drug test

Announcement number

Control number

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Duties

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Qualifications

Education

Additional information

Benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

Benefits

Required Documents

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair and Transparent

Required Documents

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair & Transparent