Geologist

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

Salary: GS-12 $96,684 (Step 01) to $125,685(Step 10); GS-13 $114,970 (Step 01) to $149,465 (Step 10).

This is being advertised concurrently with the following announcements: USGS-DEN-25-12566415-DE-SAS which is open to all U.S. Citizens.

Learn more about this agency This job is open to

• Federal employees - Competitive service
  
  

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

• Federal employees - Excepted service
  
  

Current excepted service federal employees.

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• Veterans
• Individuals with disabilities
• Military spouses
• Special authorities
  
  

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.

• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
• Family of overseas employees
  
  

Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.

• National Guard & reserves
  
  

Current members, those who want to join or transitioning military members.

Clarification from the agency

Open to current or former Federal employees w/perm comp status; OR those eligible under a special or noncomp appointing authority (e.g., disabled, Pathways Interns & Recent Grads who are elig for noncomp conversion, etc.); OR veterans with preference or have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after approx 3yrs or more of continuous active service.

DutiesAs a Geologist within the Central Energy Resources Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

• Compiling, analyzing, and synthesizing existing data for diverse geologic processes operating within geological energy resource systems (e.g., petroleum systems, geothermal systems); conducting research on existing and historic geologic energy resource production.
• Conducting research on processes operating on geologic energy accumulations; work may include field studies, describing, and analyzing drill core, and conducting laboratory studies of geologic properties of source and reservoir rocks.
• Participating as a panel member of an interdisciplinary team of scientists conducting undiscovered geologic resource assessments.
• Preparing, completing, and disseminating results of research and assessment through a series of presentations and publications which advance knowledge of the geologic processes of geologic energy systems and of undiscovered geologic energy accumulations (e.g., petroleum) in priority areas.
• Presenting results to the public through presentations and publications.
• Operating a government owned/leased vehicle as an incidental driver.
  
  

Physical Demands

During emergency response periods, training of personnel on new equipment, or field work, the scientist may be expected to hike distances of several kilometers over uneven terrain while carrying equipment. Field work may require working in remote field sites with limited to no services.

Field work may require the use of proper personal protective gear, working in dusty, hot, humid, and extreme cold environments, occasional off-road driving of 4-wheel drive vehicles, traveling to remote field sites in helicopters or small fixed wing planes, and/or boats. Lifting of equipment and objects weighing up to 50 pounds may be necessary.

Work Environment

Field work may involve encounters with dangerous fauna and flora, and other wilderness dangers. International field work may be conducted in culturally hostile areas.

Geology position with duties that involve subsurface investigation require geologists to work near drill rigs and heavy equipment.RequirementsConditions of EmploymentKey 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?

• Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  
  

Qualifications

DEFINITIONS:

Undergraduate Education: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.

Experience: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 years = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)

Graduate Education: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geologist, all grade levels.

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in geology. In addition to the geology course work included in the degree, it must also have included or been supplemented by 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography.
• OR
• A combination of education and experience-course work as shown in "A" above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in geology plus 20 additional semester hours or the equivalent in any combination of courses as specified in "A" above), plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope, and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
  
  

Gs-12

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in geology that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

Examples of such experience could include planning and executing complex geologic studies, which usually involved intensive investigations into geologic processes. This work typically involved conventional methods and techniques though it required adapting methods to the problems at hand and interpreting findings in terms of their scientific significance. At this level, geologists have a very good knowledge of the fundamental principles of geology and their application, and the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty. The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge and technical ability to conduct studies that focus on geologic energy resources.

Gs-13

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in geology that is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

Examples of such experience could include planning, executing, and reporting on original geologic studies or ongoing geologic studies requiring innovative approaches to solving new problems that address processes operating in geologic energy systems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of new methods and techniques to address geologic problems for which guidelines or precedents were not applicable. At this level, Geologists have extensive knowledge of the principles of geology and highly developed ability in their application, and wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility. The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge and technical ability to conduct complex studies of geologic energy resources. Additionally, the applicant must have the demonstrated ability to apply global tectonic, sedimentary, sequence-stratigraphic, structural, geophysical, and geochemical concepts to regional basin analysis and evaluation of geologic energy systems.

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

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.
• 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: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs .
  
  

Additional information

Other Information

• 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.
• Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
• Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
• 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.
• USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations.
• 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. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
• The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.
• THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
  
  

Agency Benefits:

• USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis.
• For additional information on our internal telework policy, please reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook at: https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies.
• Working for the U.S. Geological Survey offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
  
  

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.