- Position Title
- Physical Science Technician
- Agency
- Geological Survey
- Announcement Number
- USGS-SAC-25-12720931-IMP-RM Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Friday, April 11, 2025 to Tuesday, April 22, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Are you a current Department of the Interior employee who meets the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service that makes you eligible under the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)? If yes, please confirm that you meet all the following eligibility requirements:
- This position is in the same local commuting area as the position of record from which you will be separated; and
- This position is at a grade level no higher than the grade of the position of record from which you will be separated; and
- This position has no greater promotion potential than the position of record from which you will be separated; and
- You have a current performance rating of record of at least fully successful or the equivalent; and
- You have not yet been separated.
2.
Are you a current USGS employee serving under a career or career-conditional appointment, or a limited excepted appointment that provides for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent appointment?
If you indicate "Yes" for this question, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent career or career-conditional SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should be a "1" or "2").
If you indicate "Yes" for this question, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent career or career-conditional SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should be a "1" or "2").
3.
Are you a current USGS employee who holds a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service?
If you indicate "Yes" for this question, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent career or career-conditional SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should be a "1" or "2").
If applying for a higher grade, it is recommended to also provide a copy of an SF-50, or equivalent, which clearly demonstrates you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirements (e.g., Promotion with an effective date more than one (1) year old, Within Grade Increase at the highest grade held, SF-50, or equivalent, at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one (1) year old).
If you indicate "Yes" for this question, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent career or career-conditional SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should be a "1" or "2").
If applying for a higher grade, it is recommended to also provide a copy of an SF-50, or equivalent, which clearly demonstrates you meet the 52-week time-in-grade requirements (e.g., Promotion with an effective date more than one (1) year old, Within Grade Increase at the highest grade held, SF-50, or equivalent, at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one (1) year old).
4.
Are you a current USGS employee who holds a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service AND has held a permanent (non-temporary) position in the competitive service at the same or higher full performance level as the position being announced?
If you indicate "Yes" for this question, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent career or career-conditional SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should be a "1" or "2").
If you indicate "Yes" for this question, you MUST submit a copy of your most recent career or career-conditional SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your current grade and competitive service status (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should be a "1" or "2").
5.
Are you a current USGS employee, regardless of status, who is eligible for consideration under a noncompetitive authority such as those specific to veterans, individuals with disabilities, Pathways Interns, Recent Graduates, and Presidential Management Fellows who are eligible for noncompetitive conversion, etc.; or current or former employees of a land management agency who is serving or previously served on a temporary or term appointment?
6.
What is the highest grade you have held on a permanent basis in the federal service?
(limit 2 characters)
7.
What is the highest full performance level of a position you've held on a permanent basis in the Federal service?
(limit 2 characters)
8.
What was the date of the promotion/appointment for the highest grade held above? Your response will assist in verifying the time-in-grade requirement. If not applicable, enter N/A.
9.
If your response to the preceding question is yes, please identify the authority for which you claim eligibility below. If your response is no, enter N/A.
(limit 250 characters)
Preferences
1.
Select the location(s) you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one location. You may only select up to 2 location(s).
Assessment 1
Please select the responses to the questions below that best describes your experience as it relates to this position.
1.
GS-10: Choose one answer that best describes your experience and education.
2.
Maintaining accurate and up-to-date station descriptions, integrating new information from crew members such as notes, maps, and log sheets, for use in future surveys, data processing, and reports.
3.
Conducting detailed planning and preparation for GPS surveys and rapid modification of the planned field work due to changes in personnel, sites to be occupied, or equipment.
4.
Installing, maintaining and servicing sensing, recording and communications instrumentation and associated equipment.
5.
Planning and conducting installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of radio-telemetered analog seismic monitoring stations.
6.
Working in a volcano observatory.
7.
Maintaining or repairing electronics or electrical systems outdoors.
8.
Knowledge of avalanche safety, wilderness first aid, and alpine mountaineering obtained through training classes to work safely and efficiently. (e.g., AIARE Avalanche Safety course, Leave No Trace Master certification, National Outdoor Learning School (NOLS) class on backpacking and alpine mountaineering).
9.
Knowledge of basic equipment, materials, and techniques used in observatory work in order to operate the equipment safely, to make reasonable decisions if abnormalities occur, and to understand the sensitivity of various pieces of equipment to out-of-range voltage, current, and temperature conditions.
10.
Investigating and correcting equipment failures, which may involve visual examination of the equipment and response or termination of the automated programs and the running of diagnostic computer programs to determine the reason for failure.
11.
Installing and maintaining remote solar-powered GPS or seismic monitoring stations that utilize digital telemetry communications.
12.
Installing and operating spread-spectrum radios for transmitting digital data.
13.
Installing and operating very small aperture satellite systems for transmitting digital data.
14.
From the choices below, please select the seismic recorders/instruments that you are familiar with. (Select all that apply)
15.
From the list below, select ALL the peripherals that you have experience configuring:
16.
Contacting Federal, State, local and private agencies or property owners to obtain access to maintain existing seismic/geodetic equipment or to negotiate permission to install and operate new scientific monitoring stations.
17.
Utilizing electronic test equipment such as spectrum analyzer, signal analyzer, watt meters, and oscilloscopes.
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s).
18.
I certify, to the best of my knowledge that all the information in my application is true, and that I have truthfully and accurately represented my work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education. I understand that providing false or fraudulent information may be grounds for not hiring me or for firing me after I begin work. I also certify that I have read the entire vacancy announcement; that I have reviewed my answers to the eligibility questions for accuracy; and that I understand what supporting documentation, if any, is required for submission and when it's due.