USAJOBS - Job Announcement

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The Boise National Forest is currently advertising to fill an Interdisciplinary Hydrologist/Soil Scientist GS-0470/1315-9/11 as an permanent employee for Boise, Idaho.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brant Petersen at 208-392-6681 x3701 brant.petersen@usda.gov

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Hiring complete

Open & closing dates

07/17/2020 to 07/31/2020
Salary

$52,905 - $83,210 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 9 - 11
Location

1 vacancy in the following location:
- Idaho City, ID
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position for meetings, training, or site visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes— You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-Time
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

11
Job family (Series)

0470 Soil Science

1315 Hydrology
Supervisory status

Yes
Security clearance

Other
Drug test

No
Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness
Announcement number

20-R4SVJUL-0402-710705G-BT
Control number

573794000

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Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, Reinstatement, Public Land Corps, Resource Assistant Program, and VRA eligible candidates.

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All duties listed are at the full performance level of the GS-11.
Collect, analyze, and interprete watershed and/or soils data for input to environmental reports.
Manage water and/or soils projects, to include evaluating, developing, implementing, and monitoring projects.
Participate as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning, emergency burn rehabilitation, or similar projects.
Follow prescribed project plans, applied conventional methods to analyze water and/or soil samples and determine the causes of data anomalies.
Prepared and carried out water and/or soils quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data.
Supplied soil and hydrology related information to the land management planning process.
Supervisory duties 20% or less.

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Conditions of Employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
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.gov

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.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series listed below.

Basic Requirements for the 0470-Soil Science 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 soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Basic Requirements for the 1315-Hydrology 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 -- course work as shown in 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 : Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level. To be qualified an applicant must demonstrate in their resume they meet 3 of the 5 following specialized experience examples: (1) Assisted in the preparation of management prescriptions for protecting or enhancing the water and/or soil resource. (2) Conducted water and/or soil resource inventories and prepared the data for application into the land management planning process. (3) Implemented water and/or soil resource improvement project plans and evaluated the impacts on the resource. (4) Assisted in the assessment of water and/or soil resource capability and suitability and identifying goals, issues, and concerns for resource management. (5) Analyzed water and/or soils and related information and prepared interpretative material which characterizes watershed conditions.
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.

For the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level. To be qualified an applicant must demonstrate in their resume they meet 4 of the 6 following specialized experience examples: (1)Collected, analyzed, and interpreted watershed and/or soils data for input to environmental reports.(2) Managed water and/or soils projects, to include evaluating, developing, implementing, and monitoring projects.(3) Participated as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning, emergency burn rehabilitation, or similar projects. (4) Followed prescribed project plans, applied conventional methods to analyze water and/or soil samples and determine the causes of data anomalies. (5) Prepared and carried out water and/or soils quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data. (6) Supplied soil and hydrology related information to the land management planning process.
OR
Applicants must have 3 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);
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.).

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See Qualifications section for Educational Requirements.

Additional information

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 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 neither implied or guaranteed.

Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email SM.FS.asc_tos@usda.gov

Government Housing may be available

Daycare facilities are not available

This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.

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.

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

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

Hydrology
Problem Solving
Research
Soil Science
Supervision
Workforce Environment

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10866921

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.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit: a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

In addition to the above, you must submit the documents below if you claim in the following:

Current and former Federal employees: 1) Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND 2) Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Eligible Applicants: please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.
Current permanent FSA County employees: most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action, (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.
If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority not listed above, please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.

Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process.

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, in USAJOBS click "Apply" and follow the instructions to attach your resume and required documents, complete the assessment questionnaire, and submit your application.

NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center

Phone: 1-877-372-7248 X2
Email: SM.FS.FSJobs@usda.gov
Address: USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

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

Help

Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit: a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

In addition to the above, you must submit the documents below if you claim in the following:

Current and former Federal employees: 1) Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND 2) Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Eligible Applicants: please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.
Current permanent FSA County employees: most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action, (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.
If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority not listed above, please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.

Help

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center

Phone: 1-877-372-7248 X2
Email: SM.FS.FSJobs@usda.gov
Address: USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

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

Help

Hiring complete

Open & closing dates

07/17/2020 to 07/31/2020
Salary

$52,905 - $83,210 per year
Pay scale & grade

GS 9 - 11
Location

1 vacancy in the following location:
- Idaho City, ID
Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position for meetings, training, or site visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed

Yes— You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type

Permanent
Work schedule

Full-Time
Service

Competitive
Promotion potential

11
Job family (Series)

0470 Soil Science

1315 Hydrology
Supervisory status

Yes
Security clearance

Other
Drug test

No
Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness
Announcement number

20-R4SVJUL-0402-710705G-BT
Control number

573794000

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/573794000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.

Hydrologist/Soil Scientist

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

Position sensitivity and risk

Trust determination process

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

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair and Transparent

Required Documents

How to Apply

Agency contact information

Next steps

Fair & Transparent