Supervisory Hydrologic Technician

About the role

You will serve as a Supervisory Hydrologic Technician with the Geological Survey responsible for supervising staff, managing resources, and overseeing hydrologic data collection and publication in support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water science mission. This is a Merit Promotion announcement for career and career-conditional Department of the Interior (DOI) employees and Career Transition eligibles (CTAP).

Pay

$101,375.00 per year (GS-12 Step 1) to $131,790.00 per year (GS-12 Step 10). First-time hires to the Federal government normally start at the Step 1 rate.

Responsibilities

• Direct workforce management activities, including recruitment, hiring, retention, employee relations, performance management, and the allocation of personnel, financial, and program resources to support the Department's capacity to manage its programs in a results-oriented, customer-focused, and efficient manner.
• Plan and direct section budget, workforce, and hydrologic data-collection activities in accordance with New England Water Science Center policies, procedures, and priorities.
• Oversee hydrologic data collection, records processing, and data quality activities using established methods, field equipment, and standard operating procedures.
• Coordinate continuous hydrologic data processing and records management using the Site Information Management System (SIMS) and Records Management System (RMS).
• Ensure hydrologic records are reviewed, finalized, and published accurately and on time to meet U.S. Geological Survey deadlines and data-quality requirements.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Must pass a physical examination.
• Required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• 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 (11/20/2026) unless otherwise stated. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Specialized Experience

To qualify, 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; examples include:

• Planning and conducting the computation and collection of data from approximately thirty or more gaging stations; determining stage-discharge relations, computing rating tables and 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 including that required to compute flood flows by the slope-area method, by measurement of flow over dams, by flow through culverts and by flow over embankments.
• Obtaining hydrologic data from published and unpublished sources and conducting hydrologic studies relative 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 problems related to the scope of the ground water survey operations.

You must include hours per week worked. Volunteer experience (including National Service programs such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and other organizations) receives credit for all qualifying experience.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Physical Demands

Work regularly requires considerable dexterity, agility, and strenuous physical exertion. Field assignments involve climbing and/or working from tall ladders and scaffolding, or other elevated structures; working on uneven, slippery, or steep terrain such as streambanks, rocky embankments, wetlands, or flood-affected areas; and lifting and carrying or deploying equipment that frequently weighs 50 pounds or more. The incumbent must often bend, crouch, or work in confined or restricted spaces to install, maintain, or repair hydrologic instruments. Many tasks require sustained periods of standing, wading in fast-moving or deep water, or operating in adverse weather conditions such as extreme heat, rain, cold, or high humidity. These physical demands are essential to complete hydrologic measurements, instrument servicing, and site inspections safely and effectively.

Work Environment

Work is performed in both office and field settings. Office duties are carried out in a typical environment requiring no special safety precautions. Fieldwork routinely exposes the incumbent to a wide range of environmental and weather conditions, including extreme heat or cold, heavy rain, high humidity or snow. Field assignments often involve work near or in rivers, canals, wetlands, and storm-impacted areas where footing may be unstable, slippery, or steep. The incumbent may encounter aggressive, dangerous wildlife, biting insects, dense vegetation, poisonous plants, and other natural hazards. Field sites may also involve risks such as flooding, fast moving water, ice, heavy equipment, traffic, or exposure to irritant or toxic chemicals used in hydrologic monitoring. Travel to remote or difficult-to-access locations is common. The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

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 very rewarding. Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (resume, supporting documents), responses to the application questionnaire, and the result of additional assessments required for this position, including a structured resume review. You will be assessed in the following competencies:

• Data Analysis
• Data Interpretation
• Decision Making
• Leadership

All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Overstating qualifications and/or experience may result in removal from consideration or a lowered score. Cheating on an assessment may also result in removal. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP); to be considered under CTAP you must be well-qualified, score at least 85, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/20/2026 unless otherwise stated:

• Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience verification).

Additional Information

• Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
• If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a relocation incentive on a case-by-case basis (neither promised nor guaranteed). A continued service agreement may be required if eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.
• All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions apply (DOI Ethics Prohibitions).
• Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.