Geologist

DEFINITIONS: Undergraduate Education: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite. Experience: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 years = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.) Graduate Education: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geologist, 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 geology. In addition to the geology course work included in the degree, it must also have included or been supplemented by 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography. **OR B. A combination of education and experience-course work as shown in “A” above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in geology plus 20 additional semester hours or the equivalent in any combination of courses as specified in “A” above), 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) GS-12: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in geology that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience could include planning and executing complex geologic studies, which usually involved intensive investigations into geologic processes. This work typically involved conventional methods and techniques though it required adapting methods to the problems at hand and interpreting findings in terms of their scientific significance. At this level, geologists have a very good knowledge of the fundamental principles of geology and their application, and the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty. The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge and technical ability to conduct studies that focus on geologic energy resources. GS-13: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in geology that is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience could include planning, executing, and reporting on original geologic studies or ongoing geologic studies requiring innovative approaches to solving new problems that address processes operating in geologic energy systems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of new methods and techniques to address geologic problems for which guidelines or precedents were not applicable. At this level, Geologists have extensive knowledge of the principles of geology and highly developed ability in their application, and wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility. The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge and technical ability to conduct complex studies of geologic energy resources. Additionally, the applicant must have the demonstrated ability to apply global tectonic, sedimentary, sequence-stratigraphic, structural, geophysical, and geochemical concepts to regional basin analysis and evaluation of geologic energy systems. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.
What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position? Salary: GS-12 $96,684 (Step 01) to $125,685(Step 10); GS-13 $114,970 (Step 01) to $149,465 (Step 10). This is being advertised concurrently with the following announcements: USGS-DEN-25-12566415-DE-SAS which is open to all U.S. Citizens.