Summary

You will serve as a Supervisory Interdisciplinary Biologist/Physical Scientist (Deputy Center Director) with U.S. Geological Survey.

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Region, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.

Summary continued in Marketing Message section

Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Science Center Management: As Deputy Center Director, you will serve as a full deputy to the Science Center Director and assist the Director in matters related to the management and supervision of projects and personnel within the center, including the ongoing day-to-day operation of the center. The Deputy Center Director can act in the absence of the Director and has significant authority in making decisions related to science center matters when the Director is away from the office or on leave. You will work in partnership with the Director in a spirit of shared stewardship to lead the science center. You exercise participative leadership in interacting with project chiefs and administrative staff. You support the Director with the planning, execution, review, supervision, and administration of technical work done within the center. As Deputy Center Director, you will interact with the USGS Mission Areas and Programs and leadership from other science centers to assist in science planning as appropriate. You will participate in the formulation of new scientific directions for the center and in their modification and evolution. You will coordinate job duties with the Director to ensure that an area of scientific research can be pursued within available resources and timelines. You will assist in seeking and developing opportunities for interdisciplinary integrated science.

• Operations Management: The Deputy Center Director will have a primary role in the oversight of daily operations, which includes coordination with facility, laboratory, field operations, data, technology, and safety managers to ensure support of science projects and programs. As Deputy Center Director, you will develop and coordinate contracts, cooperate with outside interests to develop agreements, including Memorandums of Understanding, Technical Assistance Agreement, and Facilities Agreements. You will collaborate with Federal and State agencies to encourage and develop outside funding resources. Working with the Director, you will be responsible for handling the science center's space issues and concerns. Working with the Director and Administrative Officer, you are also responsible for on-the-job safety and health of employees of the center. The Deputy Center Director will also work with the Director and Administrative Officer to ensure that the acquisition, use, and control of Federally owned property under the center's jurisdiction conform to established Bureau property management policies and procedures. In addition, you will assist with center travel, training, awards, publication oversight, management and investments, data management and policy, and outreach and public relations.

• Supervision: You will exercise a broad range of supervisory responsibilities, including major responsibilities in workforce and staffing planning such as the selection, employment, evaluation, and allocation of personnel to projects and program elements. You will serve as the Supervisor and rating official for center personnel as assigned, which includes responsibility for developing performance standards and work plans, conducting progress reviews and performance appraisals, and ensuring that required training is completed and that position descriptions are current. The Deputy Center Director will advise supervised employees and center personnel on career development and EEO needs as appropriate, while ensuring that EEO commitments regarding fairness in making selections, treatment of employees, and sensitivity to the developmental needs of all employees are met. You will lead workforce development, including analysis and response to Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys.

• Communication: The Deputy Center Director will be an active representative of, and advocate for, all center employees, equitably communicating the breadth of center science capabilities to the broader USGS and other governmental and scientific communities and partners. You will represent the Southeast Region and USGS in research, development, and application of a comprehensive body of science methodologies at local and regional meetings, seminars, and conferences.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• 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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

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 period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/11/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.

-AND-

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

Basic Educational Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Physical Sciences Series 1301:

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.

Biological Sciences Series 0401:

Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must submit transcripts.

-OR-

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

To qualify for this position at the GS-14 grade level:

Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: examples of such experience must include serving as a senior expert involved in scientific research for which technical problem definitions, methods and/or data were highly incomplete, controversial, or uncertain and whose evaluations and recommendations were accepted by others as those of a technical or programmatic expert in the scientific field. At this level, scientists typically represent an authoritative source of consultation for other scientists and program specialists, are called upon to resolve issues that significantly affect interdisciplinary science programs, make long range and controversial plans and proposals and defend their findings and recommendations in public or high level forums. Specifically, experience includes 1) planning and leading coastal science projects of substantial depth and/or breadth; 2) providing advisory, planning, or reviewing service to scientists and funding programs; 3) providing supervision and career development of junior scientific and technical staff to enhance mission effectiveness. For example, 1-3, the work provided wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform and enable scientific research of marked difficulty and responsibility. You must include hours worked per week.

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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

This is an interdisciplinary position. Position may be filled as: Supervisory Biologist GS-0401-14 or Supervisory Physical Scientist GS-1301-14

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Benefits

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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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.