Summary You will serve as a Supervisory Physical Scientist with Geological Survey. This position serves as the Division Director for the Integrated Information Dissemination Division, providing leadership, technical oversight, and administrative supervision of multidisciplinary programs involving web communications, data science, and decision support systems supporting the Water Mission Area.
Pay will vary based on duty location for which you're selected. Duties This is a Merit Promotion announcement for current career and career conditional US Geological Survey Bureau employees and Career Transition eligibles (CTAP). Refer to the Required Documents section for more information.
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:
- Provide technical and administrative supervision to multidisciplinary staff of professional, scientific, technical, and administrative personnel, including subordinate supervisors; plans and assigns work, evaluates performance and manages workforce development and personnel actions.
- Direct and oversee scientific and technical programs involving water-related data, information management, research, and advance analytical methods to support organizational priorities and mission objectives.
- Develops and implements strategic plans, policies, and operational procedures to improve scientific information systems, data dissemination, and analytical capabilities in support of the Water Mission Area (WMA) and Bureau objectives.
- Provide senior level scientific expertise and technical guidance in evaluating emerging technologies, advanced analytical tools, and scientific methologies to enhance data accessibility, information quality and organizational decision making.
- Establish and oversee data governance standards and information management practices to ensure scientific data integrity, quality, interoperability, accessibility and compliance with Federal regulations and security requirements.
- Directs program planning, budget formulation, and resource allocation to ensure effective management of scientific programs, personnel, information systems, and operational requirements in accordance with organizational priorities.
- Serve as senior scientific advisor and organizational representative, collaborating with Federal, State, Tribal, local and external partners to coordinate scientific initiatives, communicate technical findings, and advance information dissemination and research capabilities.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/04/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:
A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. You must submit transcripts.
-OR-
B. Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
-AND-
To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level:
- Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (1) directing complex, multidisciplinary scientific or technical projects or initiatives; (2) analyzing scientific findings technical procedures or information management systems to identify deficiencies and recommend improvements; and; (3) establishing and executing program priorities, operating plans, or resource-allocation strategies to achieve organizational performance.
You must include hours per week worked.
Volunteer Experience: 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 This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
This position has a mandatory education requirement.
You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support education requirement. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications
Requirements
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
- Direct Deposit participation required.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1-5 nights per month.
- Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
- You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
- A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment
- As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probation period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period. How you will be evaluated Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.
You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Creativity and Innovation
- Data Management
- Human Capital Management
- Vision
To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured interview.These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.How to apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 11/04/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13100693
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Other information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.
Physical Demands/Work Environment: Some field work may be necessary to visit sites where hydrologic observations are performed. Proper personal protective equipment, such as personal flotation devices is required when working on watercraft or wading in surface waters.
The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.