Physical Scientist

National Park Service•Orick, CA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Physical Scientist serves with the National Park Service at Redwood National Park and develops and implements programs related to geology, soils, hydrology, hydrogeology, air quality, acoustics, and related physical science fields. The role supports the protection, restoration, monitoring, and management of physical and abiotic resources. Duties may be developmental when the position is filled below the full performance level. The position develops resources-management plans and action plans, represents the superintendent on physical science matters, coordinates with agencies and the public, identifies research needs, and oversees research and cooperative projects. It also designs and implements scientific monitoring, conducts inventories and data collection, analyzes data, and leads projects to prevent resource damage and reduce human impacts. Work is performed indoors and outdoors in all types of weather, and may involve potentially hazardous locations and strenuous field activity. Documentary research and report writing are sedentary. Duties are suitable for telework with supervisor approval. The position may require a valid driver's license, wearing a uniform, and training and use of a government credit card. A uniform allowance is provided.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Must pass a background investigation and receive favorable adjudication.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
Must participate in Direct Deposit and successfully pass E-Verify employment verification.
Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
Must wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards.
Must complete required training and obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
Must meet the mandatory basic education requirement: a degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics including 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science; or the specified combination of coursework and appropriate experience or additional education.
For GS-09 qualification by experience, must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 involving protection, restoration, and management of physical resources, such as writing management-plan sections or monitoring reports, implementing long-term monitoring, collecting and analyzing standard data, and making recommendations to higher-graded staff. Alternatively, qualifying graduate education or a combination of education and experience may be used.
For GS-11 qualification by experience, must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 involving protection, restoration, monitoring, and management of abiotic resources in areas such as geology, soils, hydrology, air quality, climate, or geomorphology. Examples include writing major portions of management plans, developing and implementing long-term monitoring protocols, preparing action plans, coordinating broad resource-protection strategies, preparing requests for proposals, and managing budgets. Alternatively, qualifying graduate education or a combination of education and experience may be used.
Applicants must meet all qualifications by the announcement closing date, November 5, 2026. Competitive applicants must also meet applicable time-in-grade requirements.
Applicants relying on education must submit transcripts. Foreign education must be evaluated as equivalent to U.S. education by a qualifying credential evaluation organization.
Resumes must include hours worked per week to support experience crediting; current federal employees may need to submit a non-award SF-50 if work hours are not stated on the resume.

Responsibilities

Develop and prepare major portions of the resources management plan addressing physical sciences, and prepare action plans to manage and protect physical components of natural resources.
Represent the superintendent on physical science matters and coordinate with other agencies, adjacent lands, and the public to advance ecosystem protection.
Build and maintain relationships with related groups, agencies, and the public; attend conferences and events to share information and promote stewardship.
Identify research needs, prepare proposals, and oversee research projects.
Act as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative for contracts, agreements, and cooperative projects.
Design, develop, test, and implement scientific monitoring protocols for physical and abiotic resources.
Conduct inventories, plot distributions, and collect data using automated tools.
Perform complex data analysis and quality-control checks, and document findings to support protection, mitigation, and restoration projects.
Lead scientifically credible projects to prevent resource damage and minimize human impacts using statistically valid data collection and analysis.