Summary
This position is located in Big Bend National Park, in the Division of Science & Resource Management.
Open to the first 50 applicants or until 05/09/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.
Duties
- The supervisory physical scientist serves as a senior principal advisor in the physical sciences for Big Bend National Park (BIBE) and the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River (RIGR). The supervisory physical scientist is responsible for program development and implementation related to geology, soils, hydrology, air quality, acoustics, paleontology, caves and karst formations, and related fields and activities.
- The incumbent is the Branch Chief for Natural Resources within the Division of Science & Resource Management, supervising professional staff and providing program oversight for the vegetation and wildlife management programs. Serves as acting Division Chief on a regular basis, when the chief is unavailable.
- Develops and implements long range plans for the inventory, evaluation, documentation, preservation, research, and interpretation of physical sciences and other natural resources within the 801,000 acres of BIBE and within 245 miles of the Rio Grande River.
- Develops guidelines to deal with the more complex or unusual problems, or with novel, undeveloped or controversial aspects of physical sciences and other natural resources and their management. One example is water quality and quantity in the Rio Grande River along the international border with Mexico.
- Incumbent coordinates the park's physical science and natural resource management strategies and programs with those on adjacent lands for the purposes of achieving broad ecosystem protection strategies and preventing human impacts. Negotiates cooperative and interagency agreements and other cooperative instruments needed to effectively carry out resource stewardship goals. Identifies research needs, prepares requests for proposals or statements of work, and provides oversight for research projects. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative and Agreements Technical Representative (ATR) for projects conducted through contracts, interagency agreements, and cooperative agreements.
- In cooperation with appropriate staff, researchers, and partners, the supervisory physical scientist designs, develops, tests, and implements scientific programs and monitoring protocols for the long-term monitoring of physical resources. Writes new monitoring documents that define monitoring techniques and develops methods for future refinements of protocols.
- Incumbent provides oversight on the collection of qualitative and quantitative data to monitor geomorphic conditions, sediment and flow dynamics in the Rio Grande River and tributaries. Incumbent supervises a variety of projects related to landscape restoration and its impacts on erosion, sediment dynamics, and channel morphology.
- Prepares management and scientific reports regarding the results of protection, mitigation, restoration, inventory, monitoring, and research activities. Summarizes new and conventional information for use by scientists, managers, park staff, cooperators, and partners.
- Incorporates appropriate Geographic Information System (GIS) technology into job to provide comprehensive and scientifically sound answers to inquiries from managers and others.
- Incumbent manages the overall operation of the park's air quality program. Provides supervision and guidance on the operation and maintenance of multiple instruments for a variety of national air quality monitoring programs.
Area Info:
Big Bend National Park encompasses 801,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert. The park community consists of 250 people, including employees of the NPS, Concession, Border Patrol, Postal Service, School, and their families living in 4 housing areas: Panther Junction (PJ), Chisos Basin, Castalon, and Rio Grande Village. A state-accredited elementary school (K-8) is located at Panther Junction. The park has a post office, gas stations, camper stores, restaurant, and lodge.
Please visit our website for more information at: https://go.nps.gov/bigbendareainfo
Daycare and School Information:
The San Vicente Independent School District (SVISD) and SVISD Early Learning Center (ELC), are located in Panther Junction and serve those that live in Big Bend National Park. SVISD ELC, is a state-accredited daycare facility for children ages 18 months to 4 years of age. Daycare services are currently free of charge (subject to change). The SVISD elementary school, located in Panther Junction, is a Texas Education Agency, A-Rated, elementary school (K-8). Terlingua (30 miles) has a state-accredited high school, rich in academics, extracurricular, and athletic opportunities for students in grades 9-12. For more information about the Daycare and Schooling, contact Jessi Milam, Ed.D. Superintendent, Cell: (830) 333-1074 or SVISD School Office: (432) 244-3131. Alpine, TX (100 miles) has a four-year university with in-person and online graduate programs."
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
- You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- 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. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.
- Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/09/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.
Basic Requirement:
Four years or higher degree in physical science, engineering or mathematics that includes 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
-OR-
Possess an equivalent combination of education and experience - education equivalent to one of the majors shown above, that has included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education to total four years.
- AND -
To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: work developing and preparing major portions of resource management plans; preparation of specific action plans; identifying research needs, preparation of proposals, and oversight of research; design, develop, test, and implement scientific monitoring protocols; developing scientifically credible protection, mitigation, and restoration projects; or developing and carrying out statistically valid data collection protocols. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in physical science, physics, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have one half year of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 45 semester hours or 68 quarter hours of directly-related graduate level education in an accredited educational institution (50% of the qualifying education).
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.
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.
Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).
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.
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.
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. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.
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:
- Hydrology
- Partnering
- Planning and Evaluating
- Planning and Evaluating
- Project Management
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 resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/09/2024:
- Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
- Complete All Required Assessments.
- 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.
- College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
- Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
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.
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.
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 05/09/2024. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
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."
- 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.
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.
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