Supervisory Hydrologic Technician

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Region. You will work with one of the following water science centers, dependent on duty location: South Atlantic Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center, or Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center.

Duties

• Supervision: Oversee surface water, ground water, and water quality Field Office activities.
• Leadership: Consult with the Data Chief on significant operational, management, and personnel issues.
• Data Collection and Processing: Provide technical leadership for a range of hydrologic field activities and office procedures.
• Technical Expertise: Lead field construction and the installation, operation, maintenance, and calibration of hydrologic data-measuring instruments.
• Communication and Collaboration: Work closely with Center management to implement Center and Water Mission area policies and procedures.

As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

Requirements

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license throughout employment.
• A physical examination will be required, or a statement regarding physical ability will need to be completed. You must maintain physical fitness standards throughout employment.
• This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement (08/14/2026) unless otherwise stated. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to validate your work schedule. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable. For periods of time reflecting military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient. For all other applicants, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in the following:

• Planning and conducting the computation and collection of data from approximately thirty or more gaging stations.
• Determining stage-discharge relations, computing rating tables, and calculating mean daily, monthly, and annual discharge rates from these stations.
• Acting as a party chief and making indirect measurements of flood flows under extremely difficult conditions.
• Collecting data required to compute flood flows by the slope-area method, by measurement of flow over dams, through culverts, and over embankments.
• Obtaining hydrologic data from published and unpublished sources and conducting hydrologic studies related to the frequency of floods and droughts.
• Planning and coordinating a ground water survey program for an area that may be either a small area with complex features or a larger area with planning and coordinating challenges.

OR

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits designed to make your federal career rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Physical Demands / Work Environment

• Position may require operating or being a passenger in small watercraft. Employees must possess safety certification or pass an appropriate safety training course commensurate with watercraft used.
• Positions involving arduous field work may require a pre-employment medical examination.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications. Your qualifications will be assessed through your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), responses on the application questionnaire, and the results of additional assessments required for this position. To be considered, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages, and only the document submitted as the "Resume" will be used for qualifications and rating purposes.

You will be assessed in the following competencies:

• Scientific Hydrologic Data Collection
• Compute/Analyze/Review Data
• Supervision
• Manages Infrastructure Maintenance/Construction
• Administrative Tasks and Budgeting
• Quality Assurance and Control
• Leadership

In addition to the application, this position requires successful completion of a Structured Resume Review. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Due Weight: Submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase) received in the last 5 years. This documentation will be forwarded to the selecting official and given due weight consideration during the selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, submit a statement explaining why it is not available and indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.