Geophysicist

at  US Bureau of Reclamation

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Education Requirements: To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position, having a:
1. 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
2. Combination of education and experience - courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

PLEASE SUBMIT BOTH UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE LEVEL TRANSCRIPTS, AS APPLICABLE, TO MEET BASIC EDUCATION QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT.

Specialized Experience Requirement: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.
GS-11: To qualify at the GS-11, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, applying geophysical and seismological principles and experience to complete probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, seismic source characterization, time histories and other geophysics investigations; resolves new geophysical and seismological problems in a routine range of geophysical and seismological studies, and completes data collection through processing and analysis.
GS-11: You could otherwise qualify on the basis of Education having 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You may combine specialized experience and education to meet the minimum qualifications.
GS-12: To qualify at the GS-12, you must possess specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, applying geophysical and seismological principles and experience to complete probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, seismic source characterization, time histories and other geophysics investigations; resolves new geophysical and seismological problems in a routine range of geophysical and seismological studies, completes data collection through processing and analysis; and assists or leads seismic hazard and geophysics investigations including technical oversight and project management.
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.
You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 11/16/2023.

EDUCATION

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
TRANSCRIPTS: Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable, to meet Basic Education qualification requirement.
This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. Non-submission will result in being rated not-qualified for the position.
You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University’s Registrar’s office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.
Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.
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 additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

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

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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DUTIES

• Conducts seismological and geophysical investigations and reports of geotechnical engineering applications at various sites. Works with staff geophysicists, geologists, and engineers to correlate geophysical data with geologic data and engineering materials properties.
• Provides ground motion estimates, foundation performance, seismic source characterization, earthquake spectra time histories and soil liquefaction assessments for use in engineering analysis of existing or proposed structures. Investigates the use of strong ground motion information to define appropriate ground motions for use in the analysis of design of engineered structures.
• Reviews and applies data pertaining to seismic hazard characterization, including recurrence information, zonation source characteristics, wave propagation, site attenuation and response.
• Makes presentations, participates in communications and coordination activities with scientists and engineers. Publishes results in peer reviewed technical memorandums, journals, open file reports, and other media. Publishes curated datasets to interactive web platforms or data repositories. Presents at professional meetings.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide to the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Geophysics
• Oral Communication
• Technical Competenc