PDF versionJob Summary
These positions are located in Region 6, on the Emigrant Creek and Blue Mountain Ranger Districts of the Malheur National Forest. These positions provide hydrology expertise in the protection, management, and improvement of riparian and aquatic habitat within the framework of multiple-use management working as a NEPA team member. For additional information, please contact: Josh Giles at 541-573-3444, joshua.giles@usda.gov or Bob Foxworth at 541-575-3000 x3401, robert.foxworth@usda.gov.
Major Duties
- Duties listed are at the full performance level.
- Participates in hydrologic and soil productivity investigations and studies required for planning and design of multi-purpose projects.
- Independently studies water and soil resources data needed to support the Forest's position during negotiations and litigation.
- Conducts analysis for cooperative watershed projects authorized under public law. Consults with other resource specialists in assessing the impacts of proposed programs and projects on watershed values.
- Makes field investigations following disturbance events to assess watershed needs and recommend treatment for rehabilitation of the area. Inspects and evaluates completed watershed rehabilitation projects to determine their effectiveness.
- Reviews applicable directives from various Federal and State agencies. Provides guidance as needed to ensure the environmental documents are prepared in accordance with NEPA practices and agency directives.
- Participates on interdisciplinary teams to evaluate the impact of agency or non-agency activities on National Forest lands.
- Works with team leaders, team members and other staff to identify scope of analysis, develop an analytical approach, and establish a process and schedule for preparation and review of environmental assessments.
- Develops and provides input into the annual program of work determining budgeting and staffing needs.
- Plans the work to be accomplished by the unit, assigns work to employees, and establishes production or quality standards for the unit's work.
- Performs supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.
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. Basic Requirement: 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Experience: 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: GS-09: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Assisted in the preparation of management prescriptions for protecting and/or enhancing the water resource; Conducted water resource inventories and prepared the data for application into the land management planning process; Implemented water resource improvement project plans and evaluated the impacts on the water resource; Assisted in the assessment of water resource capability and suitability and identifying goals, issues, and concerns for water resource management.
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 directly related to the position being filled. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
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). GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Collected, analyzed, and interpreted watershed data for input to environmental reports; Participated as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning, emergency burn rehabilitation, or similar projects. Followed prescribed project plans, applied conventional methods to analyze water samples and determine the causes of data anomalies. Prepared and carried out water quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data.
OR
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.
Pay Range
$52,905.00 - $64,009.00