Job summary

About the Position: Works under the general administrative supervision of the Chief, Surveying and Mapping Branch. Work assignments at this level typically involve planning, executing, and reporting on original studies or ongoing studies requiring a fresh approach to resolve new problems.

Major duties

Operate conventional industry topographic survey equipment (i.e. reflector-less and robotic total station, RTK GPS, optical and digital levels) for vertical and horizontal positioning. Read and interpret topographic maps and drawings to identify terrain and contours and existing manmade features (i.e. utilities, building, retaining walls.) that could impact a survey. Perform detailed review and interpretation of contract plans and specifications for technical accuracy and assure compliance with industry standard surveying requirements. Operate industry standardized hydrographic survey equipment (i.e. single beam and multi-beam echosounders – beam forming or interferometric, fathometers, side scan sonars) within inland or coastal waters. Establish availability and reviews the technical accuracy of digital data generated by government agencies, private sector, and learning institutions. Utilize Computer-aided Design and Drafting software (i.e. AutoCad or Microstation) to review and support survey job requirements and/or map the results of collected survey data. Plan, coordinate, and develop digital geo-referenced data so that analysis can be performed, displayed and output into reports or design documents. Utilize knowledge of GIS, GPS, remote sensing to plan, coordinate, accomplish mapping, geospatial analysis, and related GIS tasks necessary to conduct a variety of planning, engineering, and construction projects. Coordinate with appropriate personnel in various Federal agencies (EPA, USAF, USN, USCG, FWS, USACE) on technical matters related to topographic or hydrographic surveying. Participate, present, and conduct technical meetings, workshops and briefings, for higher headquarters, research facilities, and local, state or other Federal agencies. Attend technical user group meetings or conferences or interagency workshops for the development and exchange of regional GIS data sources. Research new or emerging technologies and make recommendations for acquisition if it will be of direct benefit to the in-house surveying missions and customers through increase production or decreased costs. Perform quality assurance of field collected geospatial data and resolve measurement and payment and acceptance issues during construction projects. Facilitate installation of equipment on survey vessels to ensure proper functioning and compatibilities with other equipment and processes that may be unique to a vessel or system. Evaluate inoperable or non-functional equipment and determine need for repair or replacement based upon cost/benefit analysis. Coordinate for necessary requirements and actions with contract COR. Develop, implement, evaluate, and troubleshoot technical systems on survey vessels and other survey vehicles to maximum vessel capabilities, efficiencies, and usability while ensuring no degradation in data consistency and data quality. Develop and write comprehensive survey reports and/or documentation including but not limited to field procedures, specific methodologies, datums, instrumentation used, processing methods, tidal reductions, and GPS control . Develop and implement daily quality control procedures for the collection, processing and reporting of survey data, then evaluate and review survey field data collected by others for accuracy and consistency. Participate in field reconnaissance activities such as target establishment, ground-truthing, accuracy assessment, and other data collection tasks under difficult ground conditions. Performs field surveying (i.e. hydrographic, topographic, aerial) in difficult environmental conditions both terrestrial and on water including navigation inlets, coastal surf zones and beaches, wetlands, levees, and in remote woodlands.

Qualification

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Geodesist: A. Degree: geodesy; or 30 semester hours in any combination of geodesy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, engineering science, surveying, geodetic surveying, photogrammetry, or geophysics. The course work must have included differential and integral calculus. OR Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: Five years of recent specialized experience which includes working directly with topographic and hydrographic field surveying activities to include: field experience in the actual operation of a variety topographic and hydrographic data collection systems such as total station, multi-beam, and sidescan sonars; survey data management, mapping, and the quality control and quality assurance of topographic elevations and bathymetry; orthometric heights and proper horizontal and vertical datums used in the collection of the georeferenced data. Candidate should have a physical science BS degree and extensive background in surveying and geomatics to successfully be able to handle the full extent of the position duties at this level. Candidate should have experience in leading teams and working directly with customers to address needs and challenges. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Cartography Customer Service Decision Making Problem Solving Surveying Technical Competence Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11).

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Evaluations

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. You may claim Military Spouse preference. You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.