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Summary What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position? Salary reflected is based on General Schedule (RUS) pay scale. For locality pay information, click here. NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. There is currently only one vacancy to be filled; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available. Responsibilities As a Research Ecologist within the Southwest Biological Science Center, some of your specific duties will include: Investigate water quality, especially phosphorous cycling, and its impacts on gross primary productivity in the Grand Canyon segment of the Colorado River and Lake Powell. Collect data in the field and manipulates and analyzes data from those collections to answer ecological questions. Resolve extremely complex technical and theoretical problems for which current information is inconclusive. Develop estimates of personnel, equipment, materials, and schedules required to carry out highly specialized field studies in remote locations. Operate a government owned or leased vehicle as an incidental driver. Physical Demands and Work Environment The work will involve office settings and may include substantial field or laboratory research. Field trips may be required to investigate sites during the formulation or execution of science activities. Field work may involve walking and hiking in remote and rugged desert and riverine areas, and possible exposure to extremes of hot and cold weather, water hazards and other factors that require experience with safety planning. Safety planning includes preparing teams for, and leading teams in, various work activities in the field under potentially challenging conditions. Field work involves some degree of risk as well as exposure to moderate to high levels of discomfort from such extremes as heat, cold, and inclement weather. Field work is primarily conducted on or near Lake Powell, the Colorado River and its tributaries in the southwest U.S. including Glen, Marble and Grand Canyons and other areas, which exposes the incumbent to adverse conditions in the form of temperature extremes and wet conditions. These conditions require strict safety precautions and wearing the right equipment and clothing. Field work also frequently requires logistics support in Lake Powell or along the Colorado River via boats and helicopters that require additional on-the-job training and strict adherence to safety protocols. Depending on the nature of the fieldwork, a medical physical may be required. This is not a remote position. Duty Station Location Negotiable After Selection - The duty station of this position may be any federal office location that is agreed upon by the selecting official and the selectee. If the agreed upon location results in the relocation of the selectee, the travel, transportation, and relocation expenses are not authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record. Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position? This vacancy is limited to the first 35 applications received and will close at midnight Eastern Time on the day this application limit is reached regardless of the closing date specified in this vacancy announcement. Any application received prior to midnight Eastern Time of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. You are strongly encouraged to submit all required supporting documents at the time of application should the vacancy close earlier than stated in this announcement due to the applicant limit being reached. Supporting documents will not be accepted once the vacancy announcement closes. Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued. A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. Qualifications Research Ecologist, GS-0408, Basic Qualification Requirements: 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-12 level: Possess one year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology or a related field of science underlying ecological research, is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-11 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. Examples of GS-11 level work may include: 1) design, develop and conduct protocols to analyze water quality data across space and time; 2) conduct sampling, experimental design, statistical analyses and modeling of limnological data; 3) independent planning and conduct of biogeochemical research to understand phosphorus cycling in aquatic ecosystems; 4) modifying and adapting standard ecosystem metabolism modeling techniques; 5) serving as a technical resource on limnology and aquatic biogeochemistry; 6) design and management of projects, studies to provide an understanding of the effects of dam management in study areas; 7) design and manage large water quality databases and develop large scale data releases; 8) production of manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals. **OR Possess three full years of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in ecology, biology or other directly related field underlying ecological research if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled. 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 . Additional Information Other Information: Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job. You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties. Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position. USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361. DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Agency Benefits: USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. For additional information on our internal telework policy, please reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook at: https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies. Working for the U.S. Geological Survey offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.