Department: Department of the Interior
Location(s): Golden, Colorado
Salary Range: $82440 - $128460 Per Year
Job Summary: What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position? Salary: GS-11 $82,440 (Step 01) to $107,167 (Step 10); GS-12 $98,811 (Step 01) to $128,460 (Step 10); NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. This vacancy is being advertised concurrently with the following announcement: USGS-DEN-26-12849581-ST-DAH which is open to current or former Federal employees
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Definitions: EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.) UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite. GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Geophysicist, 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 that included at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.). **OR B. A combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.), 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-11: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet A., B., or C., below to qualify for the GS-11 level: A. 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education (54 semester hours,81 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in geophysics or other directly related field of study that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.. **OR B. One year of appropriate specialized experience in geophysics that is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience include carrying out routine geophysical work involving installing, calibrating, operating, repairing, and maintaining instruments and systems that record and collect geophysical data, particularly geomagnetic data and/or retrieving, processing, modeling, analyzing, and archiving geophysical time-series data utilizing knowledge of electronics, computers, and software. This work would have required the individual to select and make minor adaptations to procedures, routines, and accepted practices and handle unexpected conditions arising in the normal course of the work. At this level, Geophysicists have a sound working knowledge of the principles of geophysics, especially geomagnetic theory, and the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work. **OR C. A combination of successfully completed graduate level education as described above that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE) For GS-12: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in geophysics that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples of such experience include designing, testing, and building instruments, systems, or software that record, collect process geophysical time-series data, particularly geomagnetic data. Such work usually involved intensive investigations into recognized phenomena and adapting conventional methods and techniques beyond clear precedents to establish novel approaches that improve instruments, systems, or software, drawing upon skills and knowledge of geophysics, mathematics, and/or engineering. At this level, Geophysicists have a very good knowledge of the principles of geophysics, especially geomagnetic theory, and their application, and the ability to independently perform scientific work of considerable difficulty. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement. Conditions of Employment for this Position: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1- year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
How to Apply: --Applications (resume and application questions) for this vacancy must be received on-line via USAJOBS BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online resume, you will not be considered for this position. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Most libraries, employment offices, and all USGS personnel offices can provide access to the Internet. If applying online poses a hardship for you, you must speak to someone in the Servicing Human Resources Office listed on this announcement PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE for assistance. --Instructions for Applying Online for this Vacancy Announcement: 1) Click the blue "Apply Online" button. 2) If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. 3) As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. 4) Check the "Certification" box and click the "Apply for this position now!" button located at the bottom of the screen. 5) Address the eligibility questions as well as the questionnaire containing questions and/or task statements that address the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies for this vacancy. 6) Submit required documents. 7) If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk.
Application Deadline: 2026-01-07