QUALIFICATIONS

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geophysicist, all grade levels.
A. 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 at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.).
OR
B. A combination of education and experience - at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.), 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)
For GS-07:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:
Possess 1 year of successfully completed graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in geophysics or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
*OR Possess Superior Academic Achievement based on undergraduate study. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT).
*OR Possess one year of appropriate professional experience that is in or related to the duties of this position is qualifying if it is equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position.
Examples of GS-5 level experience could include handling various types of sensitive instruments used in the measurement of geophysical phenomena, recording readings or measurements, and performing mathematical computations. This work experience would have involved receiving clear, specific, and detailed instructions as to the methods, procedures, and guidelines to use and would have required a knowledge of the basic principles and techniques of geophysics or physics, and mathematics.
*OR Possess a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-09:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-09 level:
Possess 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a master’s degree in geophysics or other directly related field of study or master’s or equivalent graduate degree in geophysics or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
*OR Possess one year of appropriate professional experience in geophysics that is equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service.
Examples of such experience include performing a variety of observations, computations, compilations and analyses in assisting higher level Geophysicists in carrying out geophysical assignments. This work experience would have involved following established methods and procedures, or detailed instructions; using some judgment in applying basic principles and procedures, and would have required a good general working knowledge of the principles and the theories of geophysics or physics, and mathematics and a good knowledge of the methods and techniques involved in the investigation and measurement of geophysical phenomena.
**OR Possess a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education as described above that is beyond the first year of graduate study and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
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 .

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply
• -Applications (resume and application questions) for this vacancy must be received on-line via USAJOBS BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online resume, you will not be considered for this position. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Most libraries, employment offices, and all USGS personnel offices can provide access to the Internet. If applying online poses a hardship for you, you must speak to someone in the Servicing Human Resources Office listed on this announcement PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE for assistance.
• -Instructions for Applying Online for this Vacancy Announcement: 1) Click the blue “Apply Online” button. 2) If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. 3) As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. 4) Check the “Certification” box and click the “Apply for this position now!” button located at the bottom of the screen. 5) Address the eligibility questions as well as the questionnaire containing questions and/or task statements that address the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies for this vacancy. 6) Submit required documents using one of the available methods listed below. 7) If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk.

IF YOU ARE RELYING ON YOUR EDUCATION TO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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AS A GEOPHYSICIST WITHIN THE GEOLOGY, MINERALS, ENERGY, AND GEOPHYSICS SCIENCE CENTER, SOME OF YOUR SPECIFIC DUTIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Participates in major data collection activities used in earthquake hazards, coastal change, engineering projects, environmental hazards studies, and assessments.
• Interprets data, fault geometry of active zones and other important geologic features.
• Applies data management and interpretation tools to geophysical models.
• Implements conventional geologic, geophysical, and/or geochemical studies.
• Participates in communications and coordination activities with scientists and engineers.
• Reads and analyzes a wide variety of technical information.
• Publishes curated datasets to interactive web platforms or data repositories.
• Operates a government vehicle as an incidental driver.
  NOTE: Above duties are for the GS-09 level. For the lower grade level, the selectee will perform a wide range of tasks described in the above duties, but at a lower level of work designed to further develop and refine the knowledge and skills of the individual. Assignments will typically combine productive work with on-going training and instruction. Supervision received at the lower level will be closer with oversight and review being provided more frequently.