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Department Of Commerce

Supervisory Hydrologist

Department Of Commerce, Portland, OR


Duties As a Supervisory Hydrologist, you will perform the following duties: Serve as senior manager for hydrologic forecast operations and services within a River Forecast Center (RFC) area of responsibility. Must be able to lead and direct the resolution of major hydrologic/hydrometeorological issues. Responsible for resolving a multitude of problems associated with technical procedures and systems. Provide technical oversight for the content of hydrologic services provided to the public in the RFC area of responsibility.Lead River Forecast Center (RFC) staff in achieving National Weather Service (NWS) goals and objectives. Involved in the many cooperative efforts with other National Weather Service (NWS) offices as well as water management and hydrologic-oriented agencies outside the NWS. Manages the RFC involvement in these areas and provides overall direction of the staff effort given to maintaining and improving a variety of RFC services to WFOs and outside authorities and agencies. Provides supervision for the entire RFC staff and is the most knowledgeable person on overall operations of the center.Interact on a frequent basis with the Meteorologists In Charge (MIC) at WFOs in the River Forecast Center (RFC) area to maintain and improve support to Weather Forecast Office (WFO) operations and to enhance the operational application of RFC products in each WFO.Lead efforts to optimize the exchange of data and the cooperative support between the RFC and water management agencies.Requirements Conditions of EmploymentA one year probationary period may be required. A one year supervisory probationary period may be required (Probationary periods may be served concurrently). Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.This position is not in the bargaining unit.Key Requirements:Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable ().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. QualificationsQualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year (52 weeks) of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements:EDUCATION: A. Degree: 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 B. Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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.To qualify at the GS-15 level:SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:Overseeing the technical and administrative aspects of a hydrologic program;Utilizing hydrometeorological techniques and equipment; andCollaborating with partners on hydrologic services.Education 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: OPM Foreign Education EvaluationCollege Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.Transcripts --If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Please ensure that all documentation is legible.Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.Additional informationCTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career TransitionCTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; andAny documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; andAny documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.NOAA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. Help 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 benefitsEligibility 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.How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of the three pre-defined categories. The categories are "gold", "silver" and "bronze". However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:Administration and ManagementDeveloping OthersHydrologyPartnering How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. For more information on Category Rating, please go to Category Rating.--Basis of Rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Gold, Silver, and Bronze. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.--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 and/or not qualified. To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: