Supervisory Physical Scientist

US Geological Survey; Saint Petersburg (FL); On-site; USD 106,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

US Geological Survey in Saint Petersburg, FL seeks a Supervisory Physical Scientist to lead scientific studies and develop advanced hydrodynamic models for coastal change hazards. The role requires coordinating a team, guiding data interpretation, and delivering policy-relevant analyses.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in coastal processes, modeling techniques, and experience leading multi-disciplinary teams within the Federal sector or similar environments.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications met by closing date: 10/23/2026.
• Credit for experience requires stating full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time with hours per week.
• Specialized experience includes lead studies, numerical modeling, hydrodynamic models, and data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Lead scientific studies involving numerical modeling to analyze coastal processes.
• Develop and integrate hydrodynamic models to simulate coastal change hazards.
• Provide technical guidance on model applications and data interpretation.

Education

Degree in physical science, engineering or mathematics with 24 semester hours

Combination of education and experience including at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science

Job description

You will serve as a Supervisory Physical Scientist .

GS13: $106,437 (Step 01) - $138,370 (Step 10).

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/23/2026-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:

• A. 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-
• B. 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: 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: Lead scientific studies involving numerical modeling to analyze and predict physical processes affecting coastal environments; Develop and integrate advanced hydrodynamic models to simulate coastal change hazards; Provide technical guidance to personnel on model applications, simulation techniques, and data interpretation. You must include hours per week worked. -OR-

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.