Hydrologist Job in Boulder City, NV

Vacancy No. BOR-LCB-25-DE-12575039-MW Department Bureau of Reclamation
Salary $74,050.00 to $115,379.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/15/2024 Close Date 10/29/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Boulder City, NV


Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Hydrologist. Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Duty Location: Boulder City, Nevada

Duties

This position is being advertised concurrently to status candidates under vacancy announcement BOR-LCB-25-MP-12575038-MW. Applicants interested in applying under both announcement numbers, must submit application packages for each job announcement.

Duties at the Full Performance Level:
- Serves as a project member for complete hydrologic investigations by planning, conducting, and reporting on limited independent studies or contributing to large, expansive studies.
- Plans, performs, coordinates, and directs comprehensive hydrologic studies of hydrologic systems in accordance with and applicable authorizations, policy, and regulatory requirements.
- Uses comprehensive process or computer models to conduct and simulate hydrologic analysis and inform operations.- Develops, modifies, and utilizes relational databases and related applications to maintain hydrologic data for conducting operational support and planning analyses.
- Works on complex water issues whose solutions require a proven understanding of hydrology and or more related disciplines such as hydraulics, geology, geochemistry, and the complexities of ground or surface water flow.
- Contributes to investigative project proposals and develops work plans and protocols which include consideration of previous experimental and theoretical analyses, evaluation of all available data from various sources, and the development and adaptation of procedures and methods of investigation.
- Independently conducts interpretive studies to large scale hydrologic projects.
- Performs analyses and evaluations and formulates scientific findings.
- Provides technical advice and information on water resource problems of mutual concern.
- Works with State, local and/or tribal land managers to ensure water resources management practices are consistent with various State, Federal, and local policies and procedural guidance.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).

Qualifications

To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position.
Basic Requirements: A. Degree: 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.

Specialized Experience Requirements: In addition to the basic education requirement above, in order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that the applicant meets the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

GS-11: To qualify at the GS-11, you must possess one year of full-time professional experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-09 level in federal service having demonstrated experience (experience obtained in either the public or private sectors)..

GS-11 Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is defined as professional experience with modeling/analyzing hydrologic or water resource systems, experience analyzing data and producing summary reports, or experience modeling river and reservoir systems. Additionally, applicants must have experience participating in technical studies related to hydrologic/water resource studies. OR
You could otherwise qualify on the basis of Education having successfully completed three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
OR
Combination of Education AND Experience: You may meet the minimum qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

GS-12: To Qualify at the GS-12 grade level:You must possess one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-11 level in federal service having demonstrated experience (experience obtained in either the public or private sectors).

GS-12 Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is defined as professional experience with modeling/analyzing hydrologic or water resource systems, experience analyzing data and providing recommendations to management based on results, or experience developing models for river and reservoir systems. Additionally, applicants must have experience managing or leading technical studies related to hydrologic/water resource problems or experience using modeling to inform management on decisions related to water resources planning or operations.

Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to the online assessment questions by addressing experience, education and/or training relevant to this position. Applicants must make a fair and accurate assessment of their qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is apparent in your description of experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training, you will be rated ineligible. You must be clear when describing your experience, we may not make assumptions in determining qualifications. If your resume does not clearly reflect all of the above experience, your application will be marked as ineligible.

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 meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 10/29/2024.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. Non-submission will result in being rated not-qualified for the position.

This vacancy announcement allows substituting education for experience at the GS-11 grade level. You could otherwise qualify on the basis of Education having successfully completed three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not-qualified for the position.

You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

Additional information

Probationary Period: You will be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement will be required to serve a probationary period.
Telework: Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. Full-Time Telework or Remote work is not available for this position.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information, visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive.
E-Verify: DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
Background Investigation: This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.
Selective Service Registration: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov
Promotion Potential: If you are selected at a lower grade than the full performance level, promotion(s) may be made at a later date without further competition. However, identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote you at some future date. Such promotion(s) will depend upon managerial discretion, the needs of the organization, and the demonstrated performance of higher level duties. Full performance level is GS-12.
Bargaining Unit Status: This is a bargaining unit position represented by a Union.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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.

Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, his/her on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. Qualified candidates will be assigned a numerical score on a scale of 70-100. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 40 minutes to complete.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide to the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Hydrology
  • Oral Communication
  • Project Management
  • Written Communication


The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12575039

Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position.

For evaluating the quality of candidates for referral to the selecting official, a three-phased process will be used.

Phase 1: Applicant resumes will be reviewed by Human Resources to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements (see definition of specialized experience). If applicants meet basic qualifications and any education requirements, they will continue on to the second phase.

Phase 2: Candidates who pass the first phase will have their resume reviewed by a Subject Matter Experts against the competencies required for this position.

Phase 3: Candidates will be given a final score which combines the scores from the first and second phases. Those candidates who score as best qualified will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

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 with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.

Required Documents

Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.

RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here.

TRANSCRIPTS: You must provide a copy of your college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable). Transcripts must include the name of the college or university, specific courses, and the number of semester/quarter hours earned. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted.

VETERANS: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. If claiming disability preference, you must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15. For more information, click here.

CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.

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

Applications (resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 10/29/2024. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.

Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.

Agency contact information

Maria Wallior
Address
Lower Colorado Basin
Bureau of Reclamation
PO Box 61470
Boulder City, NV 89006
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Upon successful submission of the application packet, applicants will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If this email confirmation is not received by the applicant, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.

After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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