Overview
- Accepting applications
- Open & closing dates: 05/01/2023 to 05/12/2023
- Salary: $46,696 – $89,835 per yearSalary range for each grade level is stated in the Summary section of this announcement.
- Pay scale & grade: GS 7 – 11
- Locations: 2 vacancies in the following locations:
- Remote job: No
- Telework eligible: Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
- Travel Required: Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.
- Relocation expenses reimbursed: No
- Appointment type: Permanent –
- Work schedule: Full-time –
- Service: Competitive
- Promotion potential: 11
- Job family (Series): 1315 Hydrology
- Supervisory status: No
- Security clearance: Other
- Drug test: No
- Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
- Trust determination process: CredentialingSuitability/Fitness
- Announcement number: OR-23-DE-11884364-KF
- Control number: 721769700
Summary
This position is located in BLM Oregon State Office, Prineville District and Lakeview District. The primary purpose of this position is to conduct work involving the collection, analysis and evaluation of surface and ground water quality and quantity associated with the management of public lands.
This position is concurrently open to Merit Promotion eligibles under Announcement Number OR-23-MP-11884366-KF
This job is open to
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL): Federal employees who meet the definition of a “surplus” or “displaced” employee.
- The public: U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
U.S. Citizens, CTAP, ICTAP
This job is also open in another announcement to:
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
- Family of overseas employees
- Federal employees – Competitive service
- Individuals with disabilities
- Land & base management
- Military spouses
- Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
- Special authorities
- Veterans
Duties
Salary Ranges – Prineville Oregon and Lakeview Oregon: GS-7: $ 46,696 – $60,703 per year; GS-09: $ 57,118 – $ 74,250 per year and GS-11: $69,107 – $89,835 per year.
Major Duties for the GS-07/09 levels will be the same as those listed below with closer supervision.
At the full performance level (GS-11), Major Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Planning and coordinating projects involving the analysis and evaluation of stream flow and transport of sediment or pollutants in stream channels.
- Applying a variety of hydrologic models to generate information on high flows, channel behavior, and sedimentation.
- Calibrating models to account for changes in land use patterns in the district and modify modeling procedures to improve model validity.
- Serving as the point of contact on all hydrologic and water resources issues; and serving as a subject matter expert on water resource issues for interdisciplinary teams in a field office.
- Engaging in negotiations for agreements for the use of federally owned water resources and recommending actions to the field manager and/or district manager to assure availability of water needed for BLM management responsibilities.
- Providing support to other programs for water development on public lands; providing support to other programs for water developments on public lands; and providing guidance/instructions to less experienced specialists and student workers.
- Providing technical advice on water rights applications and claims, monitoring water rights actions and completing all necessary water right assignments.
- Meeting with other BLM personnel, state and local government officials, other federal agency personnel, tribal councils, State Office officials and members of the general public to discuss hydrological issues.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required
- May be required to complete background investigation and drug screening.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
- Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
- You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your official or unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.
Basic Requirement, Hydrology Series, 1315
A. Have a bachelor’s or higher 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.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience: equivalent to a major as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Note: 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.
AND
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-07: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must also have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below for the GS-07 grade level:
Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing at least two of the following: (1) Assisting with analyzing and interpreting hydrologic data and information to prepare data and interpretive findings in support of study conclusions; (2) Assisting with conducting resource management reviews and/or preparing cooperative agreements related to ground and surface water, water quality and water availability; and (3) Preparing reports which clearly present scientific findings, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA)): Have completed a bachelor’s degree with major study in physical or natural science, or engineering that included courses in any combination of the following: 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 and meets eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) provision. S.A.A. is based on (1) Class standing-applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses; or (2) Grade-Point Average-applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (3) Election to membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society – membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
OR
Education: Have completed one (1) full academic year of graduate level education with major study in physical or natural science, or engineering that included courses in any combination of the following: 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. One year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
OR
Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience as described above that meets 100% of the requirements for this position. (To calculate, first take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months; then determine your post-high school education as a percentage). One year of full-time undergraduate study (post-high school) is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Note: This will be verified using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application.
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-09: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must also have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below for the GS-09 grade level:
Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing at least three of the following: (1) Analyzing and interpreting hydrologic data and information to prepare data and interpretive findings in support of study conclusions; (2) Conducting resource management reviews and/or preparing cooperative agreements related to ground and surface water, water quality and water availability; (3) Analyzing data using standardized methods and procedures to identify clear anomalies due to equipment malfunctions, interference, and misread gages; and (4) Preparing reports which clearly present scientific findings, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations.
OR
Education: Have successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s degree or master’s or equivalent graduate degree, or a L.LB or J.D. if related, with major study in physical or natural science, or engineering that included courses in any combination of the following: 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.
OR
Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education described above. (To calculate, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 18 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify).
Education
QUALIFICATIONS (Continued):
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-11: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must also have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below for the GS-11 grade level:
Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Independently analyzing and interpreting hydrologic data and information to analyze the existence and feasibility of water resource management alternatives; (2) Preparing data and interpretive findings in support of study conclusions for publication of resource management and/or scientific reports; (3) Conducting hydrologic studies and gathering data to analyze, calibrate models, and/or identify and account for anomalies in gathered data: and (4) Preparing reports which clearly present scientific findings, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations.
OR
Education: Have successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M., with major study in physical or natural science, or engineering that included courses in any combination of the following: 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.
OR
Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education described above. (To calculate, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify).
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Volunteer 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 include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as “varies”.
EDUCATION:
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
Additional information
- This position is offering a Relocation Incentive of 25% of the annual salary. To be eligible for a Relocation Incentive, you must be a current Federal Employee with the Federal Government and be willing to work directly from the BLM office in which your selection was made (not remote). Note: The selectee’s current duty location must be more than 50 miles from the duty location of selection to qualify for this incentive. You will be required to sign a 2-year service agreement to receive this Relocation incentive.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
- If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position’s supervisor.
Physical Demands: The work is typically performed in an office setting with no special physical demands. However, work may also be performed in the field which involves periods of walking, bending, climbing, or driving motor vehicles to worksites. The work may also involve some overnight travel for training, meetings, and site visits.
Working Conditions: The work is usually performed in an office setting. However, work time may also be spent periodically visiting field sites. Field site visits are typically performed in either an outdoor setting subject to weather changes, diverse terrain, and safety hazards associated with working around complex features and/or construction, or an industrial setting subject to noise, fumes, and moving machinery. Both settings may require the use of personal protective equipment. Safety precautions and protocols are observed at all times and the scientist complies with safety instructions and regulations and ensures individual and others’ safety by promptly reporting unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and accidents to the supervisor.
The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated ‘ineligible’, ‘not qualified’, or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.
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 additional assessments, including a panel interview and a writing sample. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.
Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran’s preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
- Best Qualified – applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
- Well Qualified – applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
- Qualified – applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
- Communication
- Customer Service
- Hydrology
- Problem Solving
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/12/2023.
- Résumé which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
- A complete Occupational Questionnaire
- College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
- Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don’t have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
- If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
- If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials – you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency’s staffing offices.
How to Apply
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/12/2023. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
- Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
- Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting “Start Application.”
- Click here for USAJobs Help with “How to create an application”
- To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11884364
- Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
- Select documents you want included in this application.
- Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
- Select if you want to include your demographic information.
- After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select “Continue to Agency Site.”
- Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
- Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
- Review and Submit Application.
- While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting “+” next to the job title for this position.
- You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select “+” next to the job title for this position. Select “Update Application” for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Due to COVID-19, the Bureau of Land Management is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement in accordance with the Department’s reentry procedures provided by your Servicing Human Resources Office. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days per pay period depending upon the terms of the Department of the Interior’s telework policy.
Agency contact information
San Antonio Services Branch
Phone
Address
BLM Oregon State Office
BLM Oregon State Office, OR-953
1220 SW Third
Portland, OR 97204
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
No applicant inquiries will be accepted or addressed until after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
