This position is in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Field Organization, Southeast Area (SEA), Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit in Oxford, MS. In this position, you will develop improved methods to measure, control, and predict erosion and sediment yield from fields, streams, and impoundments in agricultural watersheds and to develop water management practices and systems that improve water availability for agricultural sustainability.

Duties

Conducts individual and team research to investigate the broad impact of agricultural practices on field, channel and watershed physical processes. Improves the general understanding and predictive technologies for field and channel erosion and transport and fate of sediment from channel reach to watershed scales. Develops technologies to sustain the physical integrity of water body embankments affected by changes in land use, land cover, and climate. Increases the mechanistic understanding of the underlying physical processes of soil erosion and sediment transport using laboratory and field investigations. Collects and uses data from field experiments and observations to develop improved algorithms for watershed-scale erosion and sediment transport processes to enhance predictive capabilities of computational models. Conducts laboratory experiments and field studies that yield new physical insights that lead to improved relationships for predicting water erosion, sediment transport and flow, and surface-subsurface flow exchange processes. Collaborates in CEAP and LTAR networks to integrate ongoing research efforts to assess effects of changing conditions on water erosion and sediment provenance and transport in agricultural watersheds. Utilizes computer modeling and data analyses techniques incorporating improved relationships based on original research and technical literature to enhance watershed-scale predictive models. Analyzes data using statistical and mathematical methods (e.g. linear, non-linear, multi-variate, time series), and geospatial analyses.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov
• Successful completion of a three year probationary period.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Basic Requirements for Geology Series (1350) Degree: geology, plus 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography. OR Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Experience: Acceptable experience may have been gained through geological field or laboratory work that provided a means of obtaining professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of geology and closely related sciences, e.g., geophysics, geochemistry, or hydrology. Such work generally must have involved making close observations, taking samples, handling various types of instruments and equipment, assembling geologic data from source materials, and analyzing and reporting findings orally and in writing. Experience that involved only one phase of geology work, e.g., collecting samples, would not be acceptable as providing the required professional knowledge of the theory and principles of geology. In some situations, professional scientific experience in other fields may be accepted in part as professional geological experience. Such experience must have been preceded by appropriate education in geology or by professional geological experience, and must have contributed directly and significantly to the applicant's professional geological competence. Examples include some positions in geophysics, mining engineering, soils science, physical oceanography, hydrology, climatology, biology, analytic or experimental chemistry, metallurgy, and comparable fields where the normal duties or results of investigations have been extended to the solution of geologic problems by the applicant. Ordinary functions of positions such as seismic, computer, petroleum or mining engineer, mine superintendent, or metallurgist generally are not considered professional geological experience. To receive credit for geological experience obtained in positions that are not full-time professional geological positions, the applicant is responsible for indicating clearly the actual time or percentage of time devoted to geologic duties within such positions, and for giving adequate descriptions of the geologic functions. PLEASE SEE EDUCATION SECTION OF ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENGINEERING SERIES (0810/0890) Additional Requirements In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above or in the education section of the announcement below, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below. GS-12: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are: Participating in research related to developing methods for controlling or managing water, erosion, sediment yield or other pollutants across fields, channels, or watersheds; assisting in the development of prediction models to evaluate water, erosion, or sediment yield from fields, channels, or impoundments in agricultural watersheds; and authoring recent peer-reviewed publications involving, erosion, sediment yield, or sediment transport. GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are: Conducting individual and team research to investigate the broad impact of agricultural practices on field, channel, and watershed physical processes; collecting and using data from experiments and field observations to develop improved algorithms for watershed-scale erosion and sediment transport processes to enhance predictive capabilities of computational models; and reporting results at professional meetings and in manuscripts presented for publication. GS-14: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: Leading and conducting laboratory experiments and field studies that yield new physical insights resulting in improved relationships for predicting erosion, transport and flow, and surface-subsurface flow exchange processes; developing technologies to sustain the physical integrity of water body embankments affected by changes in land use, land cover, and climate; developing improved algorithms for watershed-scale erosion and sediment transport processes to enhance predictive capabilities of computational models; leading publications describing experimental results, model integration, validation, applications and guidelines to stakeholders and sister agencies in refereed journals; and participating in national and international conferences. 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 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 further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications. Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Basic Requirements for the Engineering Series (0810/0890)
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: 1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. 2.Written Test- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. 4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive.)

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 141 Experimental Station Road Stoneville, MS 38776 US
• Name: Kendra Bledsoe
• Phone: 7032599425
• Email: [email protected]