Supervisory Physical Scientist

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Lakewood (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Lakewood, Colorado seeks a Supervisory Physical Scientist to lead geophysical, geochemical, and geological investigations and supervise center personnel.

You will assign work, prioritize tasks, and guide professional development to advance land and resource management through data synthesis and partnership collaboration. Responsibilities include providing expert technical guidance, coordinating laboratory, field, and research activities, and ensuring

Qualifications

• Minimum education: degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics with 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science; transcripts required.
• Combination of education and experience may be acceptable if it includes at least 24 semester hours in physical science and related engineering science plus appropriate experience.
• To qualify at GS-13, authorized specialized experience: at least one year at GS-12 level leading geological, geophysical, or geochemical investigations and coordinating labs/field activities; providing technical guidance and ensuring standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision and leadership by assigning and prioritizing work and assessing performance.
• Plan and oversee complex geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies and investigations.
• Evaluate scientific data and develop recommendations; ensure quality and safety standards in projects and labs.
• Prepare and review scientific reports and technical findings; represent the organization in meetings with agencies and stakeholders.

Skills

Accountability

Communication

Data Analysis

Decision Making

Geology

Project Management

Education

Degree in physical science / engineering / mathematics with 24 semester hours in physical science or related engineering science

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Supervisory Physical Scientist. This position is located within the Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey, Rocky Mountain Region, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Service Center located in Lakewood, Colorado. This position will develop projects internal to the bureau or through partnerships with other agencies utilizing and synthesizing geophysical data to effectively respond to land and resource management and to societal issues.

Duties

• Provide supervision and leadership to center personnel by assigning and prioritizing work, assessing employee performance, providing guidance, and promoting professional development.
• Plan, coordinate and oversee complex geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies and investigations.
• Provide expert technical guidance in evaluating scientific data, resolving complex geochemical problems and develops recommendations.
• Oversee laboratory operations, geochemical instrumentation, field investigations, and scientific data collection and analysis.
• Evaluates geological and geochemical data to assess mineral and energy resources to support land and resource management decisions.
• Ensure scientific projects, contractor activities, and laboratory operations comply with established quality, safety, and regulatory standards.
• Prepare and review scientific reports, publications, and technical findings.
• Represents the organization in meetings with federal agencies and scientific stakeholders.

Requirements

• 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 www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You must pass a physical examination.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5-10 nights per month.

Probationary Period

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.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/24/2026-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: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. You must submit transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:Leading and overseeing geological, geophysical, or geochemical investigations; evaluating and interpreting complex scientific data; providing technical guidance to resolve scientific or operational challenges; and coordinating laboratory, field, or research activities to ensure accurate results and compliance with established standards.

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 does not allow substituting education for experience.

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. How do I receive credit for a college degree obtained in a foreign university in another country? - OPM.gov

Applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service. To be acceptable, the foreign credential evaluation must include/describe:

• The type of education received by the applicant;
• The level of education in relation to the U.S. education system, and state that its comparability recommendations follow the general guidelines of the International Education Standards Council;
• The content of the applicant's educational program earned abroad and the standard obtained;
• The status of the awarding foreign school's recognition and legitimacy in its home country's education system; and
• Any other information of interest such as what the evaluation service did to obtain this information, the qualifications of thee valuator, and any indications as to other problems such as forgery.

Foreign credential evaluations that do not contain the above information or that state there is insufficient information provided by the applicant on which to base an evaluation should not be accepted. If the requested evaluation shows the foreign education to be legitimate and comparable to that expected of a candidate with U.S. credentials, it may be accepted at the discretion of the agency.

Physical Demands

Some of the work takes place mostly in an office or laboratory setting; no special physical effort is required. While training personnel on new equipment or conducting field work, you may be expected to hike distances of up to several kilometers over uneven terrain while carrying equipment. Field work may require the use of proper personal protective gear, working in dusty, hot, humid, and extreme cold environments, occasional off-road driving of 4-wheel drive vehicles, traveling to remote field sites in helicopters or small fixed wing planes, and/or boats. The incumbent may be required to lifting equipment and objects weighing up to 20 kilograms.

Work Environment

The position requires most work in office or laboratory settings with adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Office conditions do not require special safety precautions; laboratory conditions may involve corrosive or dangerous chemicals, exposure to a range of naturally occurring solids and fluids; field conditions may include extreme heat or cold, rain or snow, and hazardous conditions such as exposure to extreme temperatures, noxious or toxic gases, ice or flooding. Fieldwork may occasionally also involve encounters with snakes, bears, and other wilderness dangers. International field work may be conducted in culturally hostile areas.

Eligibility for Benefits

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. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Your Resume Content

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Communication
• Data Analysis
• Decision Making
• Geology
• Project Management

Required Documents

• Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
• Complete All Required Assessment(s).
• All college transcripts, if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
• Veterans Preference Documentation: Veterans eligible under VRA (GS-11 & below only), VEOA, 30% or more Disabled, or Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program must submit the most recent Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions (e.g. DD-214) as listed on the SF15. If you are a Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all documentation as listed on the SF15. You may request a copy of the VA letter from https://www.va.gov/records. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
• Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Agency Contact Information

DOI Staffing Team 5 (USGS)

Email: [e-mail]

Address: GEOL AND GEOPHYSICS AND GEOCHEM SC

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive; Mail Stop 600; Reston, VA 20192; US

Next Steps

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Career Path

You can find your path with the Department of Interior at https://careers.doi.gov/.

Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.