Summary The Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Current students who are scheduled to graduate within nine months may also apply to these positions. However, these students cannot be appointed until after graduation and the official degree has been awarded and conferred. Responsibilities The duties listed are at the highest grade level advertised (GS-07). Participates as a member of interdisciplinary teams working on land management planning, emergency burn rehabilitation, or other Forest projects. Prepares and carries out water quality monitoring programs, including preparation of plans, collection and analysis of samples, and interpretation of data. Prepares environmental analysis reports for restoration projects being considered for implementation. Prepares reports of findings for assigned parts of interpretive studies summarizing the results of hydrologic investigations. Collects, analyzes, and interprets watershed data for input to environmental reports. Conducts water resource inventories following established procedures to assemble data bases required to support management programs and Forest planning. The incumbent makes frequent contacts with other watershed professionals and professionals in other disciplines and occasional contacts with State and Federal agencies, permittees, and cooperators. Contacts are made to exchange information with other specialists on interdisciplinary teams, to resolve problems, and to test theories and method concepts against peer groups concepts and procedures. Collects and analyzes hydrologic data relating to one or more of the three disciplinary fields (ground-water, surface-water, quality-water), determining apparent reasons for data anomalies, and correlating the factors that affect the information. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You are required to meet the eligibility requirements of the Recent Graduate program, as described below in order to be considered for this position. You must meet all the eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315/. The minimum qualification requirements for each grade level of this vacancy announcement are described below: RECENT GRADUATES PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY To be eligible, you must meet one of the following requirements: Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two years of the closing date of this announcement of this announcement; OR If you are a current student who is in the process of completing your degree, academic documentation must accompany your application package to validate your upcoming graduation date (you must complete all degree requirements within nine (9) months of the application closing date to be considered a Recent Graduate) ; OR Due to military service obligation, you were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduate Program during any portion of the two-year eligibility period described above. This eligibility period cannot extend more than six years from the date on which the requirement for the academic degree or certificate was received. You must possess the qualifications requirements identified below to be considered qualified for this position. Your application or 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 for the GS-1315 Hydrology Series: 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. Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. The following is illustrative of acceptable experience: field or laboratory work that would require application of hydrologic theory and related sciences such as geology, geo-chemistry, geophysics, or civil engineering to making observations, taking samples, operating instruments, assembling data from source materials, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings orally and in writing. In some cases, professional scientific experience that is not clearly water resource experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience. 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: 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. For the GS-05: The basic education requirements above are fully qualifying for the GS-5 grade level. For the GS-07: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes two or more of the following: Gathered, consolidated, and prepared data for charts, lists of study findings, and statistical tables; Operated technical equipment or instruments to take readings and perform routine testing tasks, under the direction of a supervisor; Assisted in the preparation of study reports, including assisting in the analysis of data and test findings. OR Successful completion of at least one year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of graduate education leading toward a Masters degree or higher in a field that is directly related to this position. OR Superior Academic Achievement (go to this site determine if you are eligible: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and, which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above that together meets the qualification requirements for this position. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Please note that Superior Academic Achievement cannot be applied unless you have graduated and have been awarded the degree (the final GPA is required). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education Education completed in foreign colleges and universities may be used if it has been accredited or evaluated by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Note regarding certificate programs: A certificate program is defined as a post-secondary education, in a qualifying education institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum. While recently graduating from a certificate program may afford you Recent Graduate Program eligibility, it may not be sufficient in terms of qualification standards for the series and/or the grade level. This position has a positive education requirement, as outlined above under basic qualifications. The term positive education requirement refers to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) determination that the duties of a scientific, technical, or professional position cannot be performed by an individual that does not have the prescribed minimum education. For additional information on the qualification standards for the 1315 series, visit the OPM Qualifications Standard found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315/. POSITION INFORMATION: This announcement is associated with the 2024 Society for Range Management (SRM) recruitment event. The targeted start date for these positions is Summer 2024. If you have questions regarding duty locations in this announcement please email [email protected]. Please include the announcement number and the exact location(s) for which you have questions in your email. The duty locations listed in this announcement include primary and alternate locations for available positions. You must select all duty locations for which you wish to be considered; final duty location for each position will be determined at the time of selection. This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion procedures as announcement number 24-NPT-SRM-1315-57-FS-HC. Current federal employees may apply to both announcements. This position may be filled at the GS-05 or GS-07 grade level with promotion potential to GS-09. Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE depending upon duty location. Please click this link to see the Career Map for these positions Add this url: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/30776d8798da41e3bd793a6aecd4b6e1?data_id=dataSource_1-18b81ee9dab-layer-7%3A802 Additional Information Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page. GOVERNMENT HOUSING: May be available. DAYCARE AVAILABILITY: Daycare facilities are not available. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Recent Graduates are on a trial period for the duration of the program. FIELD GOING: The applicant should expect that these are all primarily field going positions, with a significant amount of physically challenging field work in natural resource settings. This could involve use of Forest Service vehicles, tools, and Personal Protective Equipment; hiking, exposure to weather extremes and wildlife, and in some cases, working extended hours or shifts, evening work and/or spending some nights at remote locations. These are developmental positions. Some require the appointee to sign a mobility agreement, requiring relocation after the initial developmental period. TRAINING/IDP: This position requires 40 hours of formal, interactive training per year. An Individual Development Plan (IDP) must be completed and approved by the supervisor within 45 days of appointment. A mentor must be assigned within 90 days of appointment. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: Recent Graduates may be non-competitively converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service after the successful completion of one year of continuous service. To be eligible for conversion, the Recent Graduate must meet the following: Complete all requirements of the Recent Graduates program. Must be a U.S. Citizen or National at the time of non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the competitive service. Receive a favorable recommendation by supervisor. Meet the OPM Qualification Standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted. Conversion is not guaranteed and is based on the needs of the agency. Meet any agency specific requirements as outlined in the Participant Agreement. Perform the job successfully. RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVE: The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/ TELEWORK: This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.