Hydrologist

The Bonneville Power Administration is hiring a Hydrologist in Portland, OR, responsible for managing the Community Hydrologic Prediction System. Key duties include overseeing hydrologic predictions, streamflow data management, and providing forecasts for the Columbia River Basin. Candidates should have a degree in physical/natural science or engineering with relevant coursework in hydrology and experience in forecasting systems. This position does not offer remote work.
Summary This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration, in Weather and Streamflow Forecasting organization (PGPW), Power and Operations Planning (PGP), Generation Asset Management (PG), Power Services (P). A successful candidate in the Hydrologist position will manage the Community Hydrologic Prediction System, overseeing hydrologic prediction, streamflow data management, and weather and streamflow display for hydrogeneration planning. Responsibilities Be concise. Avoid Federal jargon. Write one duty per bullet. Do not list minor duties (limit to no more than 6-8 major duties). . . .. . . Use plain language.] As a Hydrologist, you will: Maximize the business value of the hydrologic prediction system by working with IT technical leads to prioritize system maintenance and enhancements. Serve as the functional lead and subject matter expert working with BPA's Contracting Office, Contractor/Vendors and BPA IT staff on all Contracting Office/Vendor activities. Serve as the lead quality control expert for vendor and BPA/IT software releases. Represent BPA as the subject matter expert on hydro meteorological science for guiding treaty operations and side agreements Provide daily, weekly, and intra-annual streamflow forecasts for the Columbia River Basin (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia). Perform weekly forecast rotation including continuous monitoring of real-time streamflow, hydrologic forecast performance and trends, and resulting hydrologic impacts across the Columbia Basin. Provide hydro-meteorological decision support for a wide array of BPA workgroups and business functions, computer science, and climate science. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENT: A. Degree: physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical sciences, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work must have included at least 6 semester hours in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours in physics. Calculus and physics, as described above, are requirements for all grade levels --OR-- B. Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. For more information on how to meet the Basic Requirements please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315/ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: developing and evaluating hydrologic forecasting systems involved in analyzing, forecasting, and data collection to improve operational forecasting procedures and methods of forecast interpretation. This includes utilizing information technology and scientific computing and programming related to weather and hydrologic forecasting, such as Linux and Python. There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-14 level. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration. CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". Additional Information About the Position - Portland This position is located in Portland, OR which boasts huge spans of amazing trees, foliage, landscape, and everywhere you look you can appreciate beautiful greenery! It is known as the most bike-friendly city in America, has a train system that greets you at the airport spanning across the city, and is home to the Portland International Rose Garden, the oldest in the country! Portland is the one place where you will find lively festivals, energetic music, mouthwatering food, and for you basketball fans, the Portland Trail Blazers are a 7 minute walk from the HQs building! There is always something new to experience in this eco-friendly town! The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE. For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov Information on how to create a federal resume https://www.usa.gov/government-jobs https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website. If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section. Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year. Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation. All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government. EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Equal employment opportunity policy Reasonable Accommodation Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy Veterans Information: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/disabled/ Telework: www.telework.gov Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations. BPA strives to ensure a safe, positive, inclusive work environment, supported by Leadership Behaviors. For more information on Leadership Behaviors visit: www.bpa.gov/goto/LeadershipBehaviors We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.