Geographer/Physical Scientist (NGDA Coordinator)

Summary
What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?
Salary:
Reston, VA: $132,368 (Step 1) to $172,075 (Step 10);
Summary continued below.
This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency
Open to all U.S. Citizens.
Videos
Duties
Summary Continued:
Location Negotiable:The duty station of this position may remain that of the selectee or may be any USGS 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. Salary dependent upon the agreed upon duty location of the position. Locality pay tables can be found here
NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.
Duties:
As a Physical Scientist/Geographer within the Federal Geographic Data Committee, some of your specific duties will include:
Lead and coordinate National portfolio management, data management and metadata standards multi-year planning and implementation of FGDC initiatives, activities, and studies to formulate, identify and evaluate requirements, policy, and procedures within context of changing legislation, agency roles, priorities, and technology.
Manage a diverse and distributed interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary portfolio of National geospatial data assets comprised of biodiversity, climate, weather, cadastral, ecosystems, cultural resources, geology, land use, governmental units, statistical, soils, real property, transportation, oceans, utilities among others.
Provide data management policy and metadata subject expertise as the principal interface between the FGDC and other federal, state, local, academic, private sector, and international users to design and develop a portfolio management and National Metadata outreach program, education and training materials, and coordinate development of implementation tools.
Lead portfolio management processes and metadata activities and actively participates on FGDC committees and working groups and identifies and responds to portfolio management and metadata related issues. Lead and or participate in national and international metadata standards development activities to coordinate, develop, maintain, and manage the review, endorsement, and adoption of national and international standards
Prepares or collaborates in the preparation of' correspondence, congressional reports for publication, and other documents for the FGDC as appropriate. Responds to inquiries from Federal and non-Federal organizations and individuals regarding FGDC data and metadata activities. Conceives, plans, conducts, and coordinates broad policy studies of national significance, carrying out of FGDC projects and studies related to data, metadata, and NSDI portfolio management.
Oversee the coordination of outreach activities to inform and educate federal and non-federal geospatial communities about NSDI, portfolio management, metadata activities, initiatives, and requirements, and oversees the development of supporting NSDI education and training activities and programs.
Physical Demands: The work is generally sedentary, but the position does require travel by commercial airline or other public conveyance, likely with accompanying technology such as a laptop computer.
Work Environment: The work is usually performed in an office setting, but requires periodic travel to field locations, to meet with current and prospective partners, and to participate in meetings and conferences. 10% or greater is anticipated for this position.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Key Requirements:

1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
3. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
4. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

• 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
For GS-0150:
BASICEDUCATIONREQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geographer, all grade levels.

1. Degree in geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies, or planning that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields.
2. A combination of education and experience courses equivalent to a major in geography, or a related field that included at least 24 semesters hours in geography or related fields, as shown in "A" above, plus appropriate experience and/or additional education. 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)

For GS-1301:
BASICEDUCATIONREQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Physical Scientist, 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 physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
**OR
B. A combination of education and experienceeducation equivalent to one of the majors shown in "A" above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science, engineering, or mathematics) that included at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent in physical science and/or related engineering science as described 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)
For GS-14:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-14 level:
One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-13 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.
Specialized experience for this position includes ALL of the following:

• Knowledge and experience in the Geospatial Data Act of 2018, related policiesand technical guidance; AND
• Experience developing strategic approaches, working across multiple stakeholder groups, for advancing Federal, national/international and/or large organizational geospatial initiatives.
• Experience in applying open data and geospatial standards AND
• Experience planning, developing, executing, and evaluating policies, strategies, guidance, information, communication and reporting in furthering strategic goals related to the GDA.

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:

• Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
• 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.

• 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 that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:

• Program/Project Management
• Leadership and Supervision
• Information Management
• Administrative Regulations/Procedures

Basis of Rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified and Qualified. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment required for this position. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for ...