Research Ecologist

at  US Geological Survey

QUALIFICATIONS

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Ecologist, 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 in biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours or the equivalent in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours or the equivalent in ecology, and 12 semester hours or the equivalent in physical and mathematical sciences.
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-13 level:
**One year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology, biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

The specialized experience requirements include:

• Experience developing methods and approaches to reduce uncertainty in statistical and process-based models that predict greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem variables, and water-quality conditions in inland waterbodies.
• Experience utilizing scale and approach to resolve research plans that are exceedingly complex but pertinent to global and local water-resources management issues.
• Experience exploring and characterizing how reservoir operations affect freshwater redox dynamics (oxygen, nitrate, metals, and methane) in Oregon and the Northwest-Pacific Islands Region.
• Experience producing research articles and science products on a variety of limnological,biogeochemical, and ecosystem-related topics in collaboration with other researchers and science partners.
• Experience developing novel approaches, research collaborations, and methods, and publishing research that addresses complex regional and local limnological questions pertinent to deep reservoir and sensitive aquatic species management in the Pacific Northwest.
• Experience in CE-QUAL-W2 modeling of eutrophication processes such as temperature-nutrient-algae-dissolved oxygen-organic matter and sediment or methylmercury relationships.

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. 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.
Help

AS A RESEARCH ECOLOGIST WITHIN THE OREGON WATER SCIENCE CENTER, SOME OF YOUR SPECIFIC DUTIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Contributing and primary authorship on published journal articles of high value to the research community.
• Developing promising areas of research that overlap or support existing programs.
• Engaging with regional academic and government sector researchers to develop a transdisciplinary culture and approach to scoping research questions.
• Interpreting and communicating scientific findings to the research community and to stakeholders within defined project timelines
  This position may require field work in uneven terrain and in inclement conditions and requires safe driving of a government vehicle.