The official duty station for this position will be a Forest Service office within the Eastern Region. (See Additional Information)

Provide hydrology, watershed management, watershed improvement, and riparian area management expertise, leadership, and program management to the Regional Directors and Regional Forester.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Jim Gries at 218-407-5831 or at james.gries@usda.gov .

Learn more about this agency

• Responsibilities listed at the full performance.
• Develop and implement the restoration plans for impaired water.
• Provide hydrology, watershed management, watershed improvement, and riparian area management expertise, and technical guidance.
• Provide advice to the leadership on hydrology, watershed management, watershed improvement, and riparian area management expertise, leadership, and program management.
• Manage compliance with watershed management and quality laws and regulations, principally the Clean Water Act.
• Manage objectives and procedures to promote effective integration of water resource values into land management plans and projects.
• Work with complex and controversial scientific, policy, legal and social matters.
• Assist forest and grassland units to disseminate functional and technical information and by promoting new methodologies.
• Integrate results from diverse watershed scientific projects or reports into other resource areas to assist in planning projects.
• Review project plans and environmental documents involving complex or controversial issues to assess compliance with a wide range of applicable laws, regulations, and policy.
• Assist forest and grassland units to disseminate functional, technical information and promote new methodologies.
• Work with staffs to develop and implement effective and efficient watershed management and water quality monitoring programs.
• Work with regional staff to initiate, coordinate and evaluate assessments or studies related to the effects of forest and rangeland management practices on watersheds and water quality.
• Advise and assist with interpretation of general policy to cover unusual or complex problems or refers such questions for higher authority with specific recommendations.
• Respond to inquiries from congressional representatives and the general public concerning the interpretation and application of direction and policy guidelines.
• Write scientific reports, alternatives, and related documents to provide input for land management plans, environmental analysis reviews and hydrologic project plans.

Travel Required

Occasional travel – Travel may be required to attend conferences, training and meetings.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• The official duty station for this position will be a Forest Service office within the Eastern Region. The final determination will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer.
• Salary is listed as RUS locality, however, final salary will be determined at the time of selection dependent on the duty location of the selectee.

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:

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement (or date of referral if an Open Continuous announcement) as defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp

GS-1315:

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.

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-12 Level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11. Conducted and interpreted hydrologic surveys and analysis, watershed rehabilitation and management planning, and providing technical guidance within the framework of multiple-use management of forest and

lands

; Collected original data, assembled previously collected records, and analyzed and evaluated all assembled data to determine hydrologic and sediment transport characteristics including quantity, quality, and distribution over time and area; Translated these findings into long range prescriptions or plans for management’s use in watershed management and/or water yield improvement; Served as project leader to establish and maintains an up-to-date inventory of proposed rehabilitation projects by priorities.GS-13 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level. Examples of specialized experience are: Provided advice to the leadership on hydrology, watershed management, watershed improvement, and riparian area management expertise, and program management; Lead the watershed and water quality management program to develop, organize and implement the regulatory components; Worked with other agency staff to develop and implement effective and efficient watershed management and water quality monitoring programs; Worked with external partners from regulatory, scientific, and non-governmental organizations to further the mission of the Forest Service in sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations; Reviewed project plans and environmental documents involving complex or controversial issues to assess compliance with a wide range of applicable laws, regulations, and policy (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act) and makes recommendations for needed refinements.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Please refer to Qualifications section.