Hydrologist

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is hiring a Hydrologist for its Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, KY. The role involves mitigating flood and drought impacts, providing river forecasts, and issuing flood warnings. Candidates need a degree in physical/natural science or engineering with specific coursework, along with specialized experience in hydrologic forecasting and stakeholder representation. This position requires in-person presence at the designated location.
This position is part of the National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) with vacancies in each listed location. The WFO's hydrologic functions are to mitigate loss of life and property caused by floods and drought, and ensure data is available to emergency management partners, River Forecast Centers, and private sector hydrologists. The incumbent provides expert support to the assigned service area, issues river forecast products, flood warnings, and specialized tools to the public.Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:

To qualify for the 1315 series:

EDUCATION:

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.

-AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

To qualify at the GS-12 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicant must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
• Utilizing models, techniques and procedures for hydro-meteorological forecasts; and
• Representing an organization to stakeholders regarding hydrologic forecast and warning operations.

To qualify at the GS-13 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
• Maintaining and updating hydro-meteorological models, techniques and procedures for hydrologic forecasts;
• Analyzing hydrologic forecast and warning processes, procedures, and services to recommend operational improvement; and
• Representing an organization to internal and external stakeholders regarding hydrologic forecast and warning operations.
Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy.

This position has a positive Education Requirement. You are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. We may only consider documentation provided prior to the closing date of the announcement. Please see degree and experience requirements in the Qualifications section.

Note: An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

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: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation .