Hydrologic Technician

Clarification from the agency

Open to the public.

Duties

As a Hydrologic Technician within the Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center-Data Section, some of your specific duties will include:

Using a variety of methods and equipment to collect hydrologic data including stage records for streams, lakes, and wells; making discharge measurements; running levels to gages and wells. Participating in the construction of a variety of gages and supporting structures under general supervision. Performing routine safety inspections of equipment and work areas. Computing and checking discharge measurement computations. Computing mean daily gage heights and discharge or downloading electronic data files for computer processing. Computing and checking ground-water records from field data. Operating a government vehicle as an incidental driver. Operating and/or maintaining a motorized watercraft. Physical Demands:

The work regularly requires considerable dexterity, agility, and strenuous physical exertion such as: climbing and/or working from tall ladders and scaffolding; work in areas where footing is treacherous such as slippery or icy river banks, steep rocky terrain, cableways, or fast-moving water; lifting heavy objects weighing 23 kilograms (50 pounds) or more, or crouching or crawling in restricted areas.

Work Environment:

Office conditions do not require special safety precautions; field conditions may include extreme heat or cold, rain or snow; hazardous conditions such as ice or flooding; or exposure to irritant or toxic chemicals. Work may require the use of personal protective equipment such as masks, coats, boots, goggles, respirators, or life jackets.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Key Requirements:

Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record. Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam. Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position? Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued. 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) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record. You must be able to take and pass the USGS Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) within six (6) months of employment. Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job. 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. 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 our system. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies in the advertised office or other U.S. Geological Survey offices in the local commuting area.

Qualifications

For GS-07:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work as a technician or aid in engineering, earth, physical, or natural science, forestry, soil conservation, or surveying; trades or crafts work in maintenance or construction of facilities or equipment related to hydrology; drafting; or construction estimating if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-06 level assignments include: 1) Installing, adjusting, inspecting, and servicing crest-stage indicators, well-recorders, and other instruments for the collection of ground and surface water data; and checking gage settings to ensure continuing accuracy of the records obtained from instruments; 2) Measuring stream discharge utilizing various devices; observing and noting conditions that may have a bearing on stage-discharge relationships; making and compiling observations of the fluctuations of ground water levels in designated wells; and collecting water samples for chemical analysis. For examples 1-2, routine assignments that involved familiar conditions, concepts, and methods, were made in terms of the objectives to be achieved without explicit instruction as to work methods. Assignments involving new, more difficult, or unfamiliar areas of work were given with more specific guidance. Explicit instructions were provided for solving technical problems involving unfamiliar conditions, methods, or concepts.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 1 year of appropriate graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in hydrology or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.

**OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and appropriate graduate level education (as described above) that is beyond the first 1/2 year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

For GS-08:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-08 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work as a technician or aid in engineering, earth, physical, or natural science, forestry, soil conservation, or surveying; trades or crafts work in maintenance or construction of facilities or equipment related to hydrology; drafting; or construction estimating if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.

Examples of GS-07 level assignments include: 1) Installing, adjusting, inspecting, and servicing crest-stage indicators, well-recorders, and other instruments for the collection of ground and surface water data; and checking gage settings to ensure continuing accuracy of the records obtained from instruments; 2) Measuring stream discharge utilizing various devices; observing and noting conditions that may have a bearing on stage-discharge relationships; making and compiling observations of the fluctuations of ground water levels in designated wells; and collecting water samples for chemical analysis. For examples 1-2, the work assignments involved some technical problems not previously encountered; problems involving concepts and methods for which guides and precedents existed, were resolved independently. General oral instructions relative to the time to be allotted to certain functions, expected time of completion of assignments, possible technical problems which may be encountered, and approaches that may be used in resolving these problems were provided.

**OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a master's degree or possession of a master's degree in hydrology or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.

**OR applicants may substitute a combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and appropriate graduate level education (as described above) that is beyond the first 1 1/2 years of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Salary:

Bayamon, PR
GS-7 - $49,025 (Step 01) to $63,733 (Step 10)
GS-8 - $54,292 (Step 01) to $70,578 (Step 10)
COLA (Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam) - The selectee will be entitled to a cost of living allowance of 2.63% in addition to the basic salary.

Davie, FL
GS-7 - $52,214 (Step 01) to $67,880 (Step 10)
GS-8 - $57,824 (Step 01) to $75,170 (Step 10)

Fort Myers, FL
GS-7 - $49,025 (Step 01) to $63,733 (Step 10)
GS-8 - $54,292 (Step 01) to $70,578 (Step 10)

Lutz, FL
GS-7 - $49,025 (Step 01) to $63,733 (Step 10)
GS-8 - $54,292 (Step 01) to $70,578 (Step 10)

Orlando, FL
GS-7 - $49,025 (Step 01) to $63,733 (Step 10)
GS-8 - $54,292 (Step 01) to $70,578 (Step 10)

Tallahassee, FL
GS-7 - $49,025 (Step 01) to $63,733 (Step 10)
GS-8 - $54,292 (Step 01) to $70,578 (Step 10)

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01 .

Education

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.

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