Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below
GS-12
Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are: Participating in field research related to erosion processes, chemical (.e.g., pesticides and herbicides), nutrient, and sediment transport, and water quality; providing technical information and consultation pertinent to the project by presenting at professional society meetings within and outside the organization in the area of specialization; and authored recent peer-reviewed publications involving watershed research, field studies addressing water quality, soil quality, and geomorphic impacts on hydrologic processes.
GS-13
Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are: Identifying, testing, and applying sophisticated and novel geochemical, isotopic, and other environmental tracers to track the transformation and transport of nutrients, chemicals, and sediments from the field to the stream to the reservoir; developing data collection methodologies utilizing field instrumentation including cloud-based technologies in the field to quantify the processes controlling surface and groundwater flow and their interactions; formulating conceptual and analytical models and decision support tools to predict hydrologic flow paths in plots; authoring recent peer-reviewed publications involving watershed research, field studies addressing water quality, soil quality, and geomorphic impacts on hydrologic processes, and forming and maintaining collaborations with a variety of stakeholders from other federal state, or local agencies, academia, non-government organizations, industry partners, both domestic and/or international.
GS-14
Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: Leading and conducting transdisciplinary field research in multiple complex projects that address productivity and sustainability at field to farm scales and environmental impacts of agricultural practices and systems at landscape to regional scales; designing and running field and laboratory experiments as it relates to soil erosion processes; sediment, chemical, or nutrient transport; water resources infrastructure including but not limited to dams, spillways, levees, channels, grade stabilization structures; computational and/or physical modeling; climate change; flood routing; hydrology; sedimentation; remote sensing; water quality; or monitoring, inspecting, and/or modeling open channel flow, conservation practices impact to sediment and nutrient transport; publishing research results involving watershed research, field studies addressing water quality, soil quality, and geomorphic impacts on hydrologic processes; and reporting results at professional meetings and in manuscripts presented for publication; managing a research program, including personnel, equipment and fiscal resources; and supervising employees, to include setting performance standards, monitoring performance and guiding subordinates.
GS-15
Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-15 level of this position are: Managing transdisciplinary field research in multiple complex projects that address productivity and sustainability at field to farm scales and environmental impacts of agricultural practices and systems; developing methods for controlling or managing water, erosion, sediment yield or other pollutants across field or watersheds; conducts erosion processes, chemical (.e.g., pesticides and herbicides), nutrient, and sediment transport, and water quality; leading production systems on water quality and water resources decision making; quantifying interactive effects of land use and management on hydrologic and agricultural responses; developing new or enhanced prediction models to evaluate water, erosion and sediment yield from fields, streams, or impoundments in agricultural watersheds; and authoring reviews for national and international scientific peers for implementing evolving technologies, addressing water quality, soil quality, or geomorphic impacts on hydrologic processes; and working with stakeholders, commodity groups, industry partners and university collaborators.
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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications.
Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.