Hydrologic Technician (Field Assistant)

Job Description: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Colorado Water Science Center Pueblo, CO Website https://www.usgs.gov/centers/co-water TEMPORARY RECRUITMENT BULLETIN Hydrologic Technician (Field Assistant) Announcement Number: COWSC-PUB-2024-01 Hiring Agency: INTERIOR, U.S. Geological Survey Position Title: Hydrologic Technician, GG-1316-04, 05, 06 Open Period: 5/1/2024-5/10/2024 at 11:59 PM MDT Type of Appointment: Temporary, Excepted Service, Not-to-Exceed 180 days in a Service Year. The work of this project will not exceed 1039 paid hours in a service year. Positions may offer rehire eligibility for subsequent appointments, provided the employee has not exceeded 1039 hours of work in a twelve month period and has achieved an acceptable level of performance. Series/Grade: GG-1316-04, 05, 06 Salary: GG-1316-04: $17.37/hour (Step 1) to $22.58/hour (Step 10) GG-1316-05: $19.44/hour (Step 1) to $25.26/hour (Step 10) GG-1316-06: $21.67/hour (Step 1) to $28.17/hour (Step 10) Promotion Potential: GG-1316-06 Duty Location(s): Pueblo, CO, US For More Information: Dustin Ethredge, U.S. Geological Survey Colorado Water Science Center 201 E 9th St. Pueblo, CO 81003 719-568-2829 ethredge@usgs.gov Who May Apply: United States Citizens Work Schedule: There may be periods of full-time, part-time, and intermittent work. What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?This vacancy is limited to the listed above open period, and will close at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on May 10, 2024. Any application received prior to this date and time will be accepted and considered. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. Supervisory Position: No Relocation Authorized: No Travel Required: Occasional overnight travel of up to 4 nights per month may be required. KEY REQUIREMENTS:Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.Overnight travel of up to 4 nights per month may be required.Selectee must provide a valid driver's license and safe driving record. A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Position requires completion of a medical examination at Federal expense. You will be required to operate a government-owned or leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possession of a valid State driver’s license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license and a copy of your driving record. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update your information. THIS IS A TEMPORARY EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION for which all qualified applicants, with or without Federal status may apply and be considered. Appointment to this position, however, will not convey permanent status in the Federal service. Appointment will only be for the duration of the position, in this case, 1039 hours or less. Positions may offer rehire eligibility for subsequent appointments, provided the employee has not exceeded 1039 hours of work in a twelve-month period and has achieved an acceptable level of performance. DUTIES: Incumbent of this position performs technical work in support of professional or technical employees engaged in hydrologic data collection activities or chemical analysis of water samples in a laboratory. Major Duties: Provide support and assistance to current staff in collection of topographic survey data; biologic sampling; and/or surface-water, groundwater, and water-quality data from gaging stations, wells, or QW monitoring stations. Prepares water samples for laboratory analysis to determine specified sediment, chemical, or biological concentrations or physical characteristics. Operates a computer using hydrologic software to compile and quality assure stream-gaging and water-quality data. Operates a government motor vehicle as an incidental driver. PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work is generally performed outdoors in rural or remote stream environments, occasionally on boats, and involves moderate to extreme exposure to the discomforts of rain, snow, cold or hot weather, and rapidly running or icy streams and rivers. Special safety precautions are required in many cases, and the employee will typically wear life jackets, special safety boots, waders, and reflective rain gear. Applicant must have correctable vision and hearing. The work regularly requires considerable dexterity, agility, and strenuous physical exertion such as that needed to: climb, or work from, tall ladders or scaffolding; work in areas where footing is treacherous such as on slippery river banks, in steep or rocky terrain, and in fast-moving water; lift heavy objects weighing 50 pounds or more; crouch or crawl in constricted areas; and defend oneself or others against physical attack. This position is not subject to overtime work. QUALIFICATIONS: For the GG-04 level:6 months field party experience OR2 years sub-professional experience OR1 year college study related to field of study For the GG-05 level:9 months field party experience OR3 years sub-professional experience OR3 years college study related to field of study For the GG-06 level:1 year, 9 months field party experience OR4 years sub-professional experience OR4 years college study related to field of study DEFINITIONS OF EXPERIENCE: A. Field survey party experience. Experience with a field survey party includes activity associated with making and recording geologic, hydrologic, biologic, or topographic field observations; collecting geologic, biological, or water samples for laboratory analysis; applying accepted data collection techniques and methods in the performance of field work in support of scientific investigations; and using a variety of surveying instruments and electronic or mechanical instrumentation in the making and recording of field measurements and observations designed to collect data for physical/ biological science investigations. Only time actually spent in the field can be credited when qualifying individuals under the field party experience option. B. Sub-professional experience. Sub-professional experience is defined as technical work performed in support of field or laboratory investigations relating to the biological sciences, physical sciences, or closely related disciplines which provided basic knowledge or skills in gathering, recording, and assembling scientific or engineering data; using scientific instruments to measure angles, degrees, weights, strengths, intensities, etc.; setting up and operating test apparatus, and manipulating quantitative data. Experience may include assisting professional employees with such duties as calibrating and operating measuring instruments mixing solutions, making chemical analyses, setting up and operating test apparatus, and compiling and processing scientific data. Experience as a laboratory mechanic or in a trade or craft may be credited as experience when the work was performed in close association with physical or biological scientists or other technical personnel and provided a good working knowledge of appropriate scientific principles, methods, and techniques. C. Professional experience. Professional work experience in the physical and biological sciences may be credited in lieu of or in conjunction with sub-professional experience as defined above. EDUCATION: One year of full-time academic study is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained in an accredited business, technical school, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite. If you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) or list of course work, which includes semester hours earned and grade received, by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. This proof may be faxed, to the office (see "Required Documents" and/or "Contact Information"). Please ensure that all documentation is legible. If you are currently employed by the Federal government in the same occupational series as the advertised position, you are not required to submit transcripts at this time. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/oars/quals/foreign.html. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement. BASIS OF EVALUATION: Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applicants that meet the basic eligibility and qualification requirements of the position will be referred to the selecting official in preference eligible order. Applicants will receive a basic eligible or ineligible rating based upon the qualification requirements. First preference in referral will be given to eligible applicants entitled to 10-point veteran’s preference who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. All other qualified applicants entitled to veteran’s preference will be given preference over qualified applicants not entitled to veteran’s preference. All applicants must be United States Citizens. Under regulations contained in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employment in this position is limited to those persons who are authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of appointment. As a condition of employment, all new employees reporting for duty with the Department of the Interior will be paid through direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Applicants selected for Federal employment will be required to complete a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failure to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on the application may be ground for not hiring the applicant, or for firing the applicant after he/she begins work. Also, he/she may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. code, Title 18, section 1001). Prior to or at the time of appointment, male applicants born after December 31, 1959, will have to certify that they have registered with the Selective service system in order to be appointed to a position with the United States Geological Survey, unless legally qualified for an exception. Employees of the U.S. Geological Survey are subject to the provisions of Title 43, U.S. code, Section 31 (a) and may not according to this legislation and related regulation: (A) have any personal or private interest, direct or indirect, in lands or mineral wealth of such lands or a region under survey and whose title is in the U.S.; (B) execute surveys or examination for private parties or corporations; or (C) have personal or private interest, direct or indirect, in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business in the U.S. except where specifically authorized by the director of the U.S. Geological Survey. NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered. BENEFITS: Temporary appointees expected to work at least 130 hours per month for at least 90 days will be eligible to enroll in a Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plan. Individuals eligible under this rule receive the full government contribution to their premiums regardless of work schedule and will also be eligible to participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts and Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Temporary appointees are not covered by the Federal Employee Retirement System and are ineligible for Federal life, dental, or vision insurance. OTHER INFORMATION: The Hiring Official will determine the work schedule based upon project needs. There will be busy periods when those selected will be required to work full- or part-time schedules and other periods when individuals will be placed on intermittent schedules and will only work when their services are required. Those selected will be required to sign a statement of understanding to this effect. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. HOW TO APPLY: Carefully read all information and instructions. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application is completed. This office will not be responsible for soliciting additional information from applicants and will consider individuals based on their applications and supporting documentation as submitted. IMPORTANT NOTE: You only need to submit one application for any combination of the locations (projects) and grade levels in which you are interested, but you can only be considered for the locations and grade levels that you specify in your application and/or cover letter. Thus, we strongly suggest that you apply for m