Physical Scientist.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Reston (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Geological Survey is seeking a Physical Scientist to interpret geophysical data, manage GIS datasets, and conduct surface and subsurface geologic investigations for energy resource assessments. The role involves preparing written reports and presenting findings to peers.

Applicants must meet basic educational requirements in physical science or engineering and demonstrate specialized experience at GS-11/12 levels. A probationary period and federal employment prerequisites apply.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualification Requirements: you must meet the following minimum qualifications.
• Basic Educational Requirements include a 4-year degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics with relevant coursework.
• Specialized Experience for GS-11/12 includes progressively responsible physical science work and ability to adapt procedures.

Responsibilities

• Interpret subsurface geophysical data, seismic data, drill cuttings, cores, and geologic samples for energy resource assessment.
• Create and manage GIS data and maps using ESRI or GIS formats for energy resource analysis.
• Use spreadsheets, databases, graphics, visualization and statistics to analyze complex datasets.
• Conduct surface and subsurface geologic investigations using stratigraphy, geophysics, and GIS to map sedimentary basins.
• Prepare complete written reports and present findings at scientific meetings.

Job description

Duties

As a Physical Scientist within the Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center at USGS, your major duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Interprets subsurface geophysical data and has experience interpreting seismic reflection data, or collects and describes drill cuttings and cores from test wells and samples them for laboratory analyses, or compiles and interprets complex geologic and geographic data for energy resource assessment.
• Creates, manages, edits and customizes spatial data using ESRI and/or other GIS file formats, and compiles and interprets complex geologic maps and geographic data for energy resource assessments.
• Use spreadsheets, databases, graphics, and visualization, and statistical applications to display and analyze complex datasets
• Utilize professional knowledge of the principles and theories of geology, geochemistry, sedimentology, and stratigraphy to conduct surface and subsurface geologic investigations and uses knowledge of stratigraphy, structural geology, geophysics, and GIS to prepare maps of sedimentary basins.
• Participate in team-based collaborative communication to provide technical guidance, summarize results of scientific investigations into complete written reports using tables, figures, and charts, and present complex findings on geologic energy resources to scientific peers at national or international meetings.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record.
• Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/26/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirements

• A. Degree: 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. You must submit transcripts.

-OR-

• B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. education 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.

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Examples of such experience may include independent responsibility for a well-defined study or for a phase of a larger study that required the planning and carrying out of routine physical science work. This work would have required the individual to select and make minor adaptations to procedures and accepted practices and handle unexpected conditions arising in the normal course of the work. At this level, physical scientists have the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least Three years of progressively higher level graduate education (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) leading to a Ph.D. degree in physical science or other directly related field of study or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in physical science or other directly related field of study if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience: To combine education and experience, first take the percentage of qualifying education required for the grade level. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Examples of such experience may include independent responsibility for a well-defined study or for a phase of a larger study that required the planning and carrying out of routine physical science work. This work would have required the individual to select and make minor adaptations to procedures and accepted practices and handle unexpected conditions arising in the normal course of the work. At this level, physical scientists have the ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible scientific work. You must include hours per week worked.

Volunteer Experience

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

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Promotion to the full performance level

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the

Physical Demands/Work Environment

Work is performed primarily in a field, laboratory or office setting. Work area is adequately lighted. Work performed in the laboratory may involve use of equipment which can result in exposure to dust, toxic chemicals, mechanical and electrical hazards, and noise. Special safety precautions are required including use of laboratory coats, safety glasses, dust masks, gloves, etc. Work in the field may involve exposure to extreme outdoor weather conditions with exposure to poisonous growth and insects involving a high risk with exposure to dangerous situations.

Operates a motor vehicle as an incidental driver.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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.