In the first part of this series we featured the USGS history, programs, and the economist (GS-0110) career path. In part 2 the ecologist (GS-0408) and chemist (GS-1320) career paths are featured.

Ecologist (GS-0408) Career Path

This series covers positions that manage, supervise, lead, or perform professional, research, or scientific work involving the study of the relationships of organisms with each other, with their physical and chemical environments, and with society.

The federal government employs 1,351 in this occupation. Review the ecologist job series definition for additional occupational information and to discover the largest employers of this group with links to ecologist job vacancies.

 

Kristen Marie Hart is a GS-0408-14, Ecologist, stationed at the Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainesville, FL.

Hart is a research ecologist and leads a large reptile research program. She designs, plans and leads in the sampling of turtles (both marine and brackish water), crocodilians, and Burmese pythons. Hart deals with rare, threatened, endangered, and invasive species of animals. Hart indicates, “this work is important because we’re often dealing with trying to plan and execute studies to determine vital rates (survival, growth, abundance) for either imperiled populations (such as sea turtles and crocodiles) or invasive species (such as Burmese pythons). This data is critical for assessing population trends and trajectories.”

Hart has to educate the public about the importance of her work and the findings. Hart comments, “I really enjoy the field work, but the discovery of what the data means is very exhilarating!”

Hart relates that you have to “do well in math and science, and learn how to write and know how to do accounting. We have to keep track of our funds, budgeting of projects, and deliverables. There are many scientific papers so writing that is both concise and clear is very important. Finally, take courses in statistics that is used to show the importance or significance of our findings.”

Ecologists may study the distribution and density of organisms that live in ecosystems. Studying changes in the distribution and density before and after specific human activities enables ecologists to model the ecosystem impacts of human activities. Factors in ecology studies including:

• Quantitative attributes of population, such as population density, birth rate, spatial distribution, age structure, and resource demands;
• The structure and interactions of populations of species in a community:
• Environment factors, such as tide pools, salt marshes, grasslands, deciduous forests, rangelands, deserts, vernal pools, and fens, and the interactions between them;
• Pesticide testing and control;
• Energy sources; and
• Air and water quality and flows in urban areas.

Duties

The duties of an ecologist can include:

• Gather, organize, and interpret ecological, biological, physical, public use or other information pertinent to research studies and/or investigations.
• Plan the approach and data collection. Lead field crews of 1-3 people to carry out complex ecological studies.
• Utilize established ecological simulation models to evaluate scenarios of potential future climatic and vegetation conditions.
• Use GIS to assemble layers, run spatial models, and analyze patterns.
• Write reports or scientific papers including, conducting literature reviews, reporting results, and preparing graphs and tables.
• Perform data analysis including data summarization and complex statistical analyses of large datasets.

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job. A GS-09 needs to have at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest level. For example, a GS-09 can earn from $48,403.00 to $62,920.00 per year or more depending on the locality salary rate for the area where they work.

Kevin Lafferty is a GS-0408 Ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.

Lafferty reveals the best part of the job is “making a discovery that changes the way people think about the natural world.” He suggests that “you need to have very strong quantitative skills. If you are analytical, understand graphs, and have a skeptical attitude, you can develop the scientific skills to excel in Ecology. You also need strong skill areas such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, GIS, computer programming, and good writing skills.”

Chemist (GS-1320) Career Path

This series includes all positions involving work that requires full professional education and training in the field of chemistry. This work includes the investigation, analysis, and interpretation of the composition, molecular structure, and properties of substances, the transformations which they undergo, and the amounts of matter and energy included in these transformations.

There are 5,493 chemists employed in the federal government with 61 working overseas. Review the chemist job series definition for additional occupational information and to discover the largest employers of this group with links to nationwide and overseas chemist job listings.

 

Dr. Keith A. Loftin is a GS-1320-13, Research Chemist, located at the USGS KS Water Science Center, Lawrence, KS.

Loftin works on interdisciplinary research teams, and conducts research independently to provide solutions and expanded understanding on understudied environmental issues of public and ecological health concern.

Loftin is a research chemist, this gives him the opportunity to identify and work on solutions to environmental problems with human and ecological health relevance. He relates, “chemistry is used to understand, make, or enhance the quality of agriculture, clothing, building materials, clean drinking water, manufacturing of a full range of luxury items, as well as medications.”

Loftin explains, “chemistry allows a person to breakdown complex systems and processes at a fundamental level that can be used to solve problems.”

Experience and Education

For all grades in this series, you will need at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest grade. The salary range for a GS-12 is$75,333 (Step 01) to $97,938 (Step 10). You have to be U.S. citizen to apply for this career path. Review the qualification standards to determine the requirements for each grade level. Also review the job announcement for the specific education and experience required for each grade level.

Geographers (GS-0150) and Cartographers (GS-1370) will be featured in Part 3.

Credits

• Diane Noserale, USGS Public Affairs Officer, Reston, VA
• Photos are from the USGS website and career brochures
• USGS Web Site: http://www.usgs.gov

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) tracks earthquakes, geological phenomenon, provides civilian mapping, and many other important functions. Part one of this three part series explores their history, programs, and the economist (GS-0110) job series. Three economists were interviewed for this article.

About the USGS

 

The USGS agency is a science organization that provides,” impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and useable information.”

The mission of the USGS is to serve “the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.”

The USGS has over 10,000 scientists, technicians, and other support staff that work in over 400 locations nationwide.

The USGS is the largest water, earth, biological science, and civilian mapping agency. They collect, monitor, analyze, and provide scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems. This agency provides diverse scientific expertise and can carry out large-scale, multi-disciplinary investigations, and provides impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners and other customers.

History

The USGS was formed on March 3, 1879 and President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill appropriating money for sundry civil expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1879.

The sundry civil expenses bill included the establishing of the USGS, and charging it with a unique combination of responsibilities: “classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain.”

The USGS is 110 years old and this agency stills fulfills its original mission in the classification of public lands, the examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and the produces of the national domain. The USGS conducts research on the cutting edge of science that effects on the economy, and helps to develop and apply innovative means in solving problems in resource management.

USGS Programs

The USGS has many varied programs that focus on science, climate ecosystem among others. Here is a sampling of 2 of their more prominent programs.

Core Science System

The Core Science System is a new mission for the USGS. The role of this program is the understanding of the Earth’s complex ecosystems. Ecosystems exist all over the world. By using an ecosystem-based approach, the USGS can use all science themes that will provide specific data and other information that can be utilized by the USGS and its partners. “The vision for Core Science Systems builds on core strengths of the USGS in characterizing and understanding complex Earth and biological systems through research, modeling, mapping, and the production of high quality data on the Nation’s natural resource infrastructure.”

Through research, activities will provide a foundation for ecosystem-based approaches from geologic mapping, topographic mapping, and biodiversity mapping. The framework is designed to improve the efficiency of scientific work. This will enable a way to preserve and recall data for future applications, organizing existing scientific knowledge and data to facilitate new use of older information. This will help with the integration of new data, applications, and other science products to make interdisciplinary research easier and more efficient within the USGS.

Ecosystem Science

The Ecosystem Science program is about how to make well-informed decisions about how to use our national resources wisely and to help sustain our Nation’s economic and environmental well-being.

This program utilizes basic and applied science criterion. From the local, regional and national levels there are issues that affect our Nation. Resource managers and other policymakers face a variety of issues that include renewable and nonrenewable energy development, agriculture, forestry, water supply, and resource allocations in both the urban and rural environments.

Ecosystem science is the study of systems of organisms interacting with their environment and the consequences of natural and human-induced change on these systems. The USGS helps to develop policies that enable decision makers, to better adapt to the changes that occur in these ecosystems.

The USGS provides the necessary information to help decision makers on the matters involving our environment. The USGS uses science to provide managers with options and decision-support tools in resources sustainability.

Here are is great USGS links to their other programs and science topics: Our Programs and Science Topics

Economist (GS-0110) Career Path

This series includes positions that require application of a professional knowledge of economics in the performance of duties that include: research into economic phenomena, analysis of economic data, and the preparation of interpretive reports; advice and consultation on economic matters to governmental officials and private organizations or citizens; and the performance of other professional work in economics including supervision and the direction of economists engaged in the various economics programs of the Federal Government

The federal government employs 4,411 economists including a number that work overseas. All cabinet level agencies and many large independent agencies employ economists.

Grecia R. Matos, is a GS-0110-13 economist and works in Reston, Virginia, in the National Minerals Information Center.

Matos always wanted to make a difference and her economics background helped her succeed in the job.  She suggests that you need a “systems approach not just mathematical, but adding a human/social dimension to a holistic vision a country and the world.” Matos states, “her job as economist provides insights into many challenging and relevant issues, such as to know the dollar value of resources we produce and the physical quantity needed to keep up with our standard of living.”

Matos has many responsibilities as an economist. One of these is to provide information to the public, and policy makers regarding the current use and flow of minerals and materials in the United States and the world. Additionally, she helps to identify areas where there are adverse impacts of using materials, and identifies efficiencies in reuse, recycling and in waste management.

Matos indicates, “working in a science agency such as USGS, economists provide science to decision makers for environmental policy, study the effects of global climate change, the green economy, provide science to help protect public health, the environment, and to restore ecosystems.”

Duties

This specialization includes (1) positions which analyze and interpret relationships incorporating economic factors which cut across all sectors of the economy, (2) positions which specialize in methodology, (3) positions which are not appropriately classifiable to any other specialization in this series, and (4) all positions at the GS-5 and GS-7 levels. Positions in this specialization may be characterized by a variety of assignment patterns.

At all grade levels there are economists who analyze, interpret, synthesize, and project the movements and relationships among the many forces playing upon the economy. Typically, such economists use secondary sources and depend on their colleagues in the various branches of economics to collect and distill primary data. Frequently (though not necessarily), their work results in publication, sometimes in the “learned paper” tradition, but more typically in regular periodic publications of the Government.

Education and Experience

For all grade levels you need at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest grade. Additionally, a bachelor’s degree is required that includes at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semesters hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

The GS-05 to GS-09 grade levels, you not only need a bachelor’s degree and the experience may include:

1. Developing detailed plans for economic studies in accordance with established specifications and other requirements.
2. The collecting and compiling of economic data from primary or secondary sources following detailed and exact procedures and regulations.
3. The preparation of preliminary interpretive reports, or portions of such reports following precise instructions.

The GS-11 to GS-14 grade levels, in addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have 1 year of appropriate professional experience in economics that is equivalent to at least the next lowest grade level  The additional experience may include:

1. The performance of collecting data from primary sources necessary for a project, such as employment statistics or marketing data. The procedures are exact and well defined and adjusted as necessary.
2. The planning and preparing an interpretive report on the productivity capacity of a particular industry, and use the data for a comprehensive industry analysis.
3. Assignments include the full scope of the research process, from the initiation of investigations and planning of methods, through the interpretation of finding and the preparation of final reports.
4. Other experience can include initiating, planning, formulating, and executing major special studies or continuing projects.

The salary range for a GS-12 is $76,378 (Step 01) to $99,296 (Step 10). A

GS-13 salary range is $90,823 (Step 01) to $118,069 (Step 10). You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

Carl Shapiro, is a GS-0110 Economist. Shapiro works in the USGS Science and Decisions Center, Reston, VA.

Shapiro was looking for a field that provided structure to complex societal issues. He cites, “economic concepts provide an objective and structured way of considering the issues to form many types of decisions.”

Shapiro does studies in ecosystem services, which are beneficial to nature. He states, “economists work with biological and physical scientists to understand how ecosystem services are produced and with natural resource managers to understand how ecosystem services in making informed decisions.”

Shapiro recommends a career in economics because, “it has a clear and analytical methodology and addresses issues ranging from natural resources, to labor productivity, to policies relating to the money supply.  Economists are needed in a wide range of diverse fields.”

Shapiro suggests, “you should narrow your field to a specialty. Economics provides an analytical framework for considering the consequences of scarcity, alternative decisions, and tradeoffs, but it is not always a stand-alone discipline. Its value can be enhanced by connecting its approach with a broad set of societal challenges.”

Stephen R. Gillespie, is a GS-0110-14 economist. He works in the Director’s Office in Reston, VA.

Gillespie states the most exciting part of my job is getting to work with scientists in all sorts of different fields. He suggests that you take math courses in high school. As an economist you will spend a lot of time working with numbers.”

Credits

• Diane Noserale, USGS Public Affairs Officer, Reston, VA
• History of the USGS

Economist Career Path

• Economist GS-0110 (Job Listings)
  • Job Series Definition

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The logistics management specialist’s job focus is being able to perform analysis and coordination of an organization’s supply chain. Additionally, you will manage the entire life cycle of a product, to include the acquisition, distribution, allocation, and delivery. They should have the ability to understand the different functions of planning, implementation, and integration. The most important ability is to be able to integrate the separate functions in planning or implementation in a logistics management program.

The logistics management specialist does not need to be an expert in these activities. They must understand the functional fields in logistical planning (requirements, capabilities, lead times, and costs) with enough depth, to enable proper analysis of the information that is obtained. Furthermore, the specialist must also have a broad knowledge of supply systems, procedures, and programs.

The logistics management specialist can perform the necessary work in variety of organizational structures, at various levels within the agency or department. In the military the work is in support of many different kinds of missions, defense related programs and weapon systems. There can be a wide range of logistics programs and their individual requirements will be unique to that agency or department.

The salary range for a GS-0346 (05-15) is from $31,628.00 to $149,333.00 / Per Year. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position and they are typically full time permanent positions. The education requirements are a bachelor’s degree, along with a minimum of at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest grade level or a combination of experience and education.

Charles Siebott is a retired GS-0346-11, logistic management specialist (logistics program coordinator) who worked for the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Siebott states he choose this career path because “previous military testing indicated an aptitude for an administrative, career path vice engineering or mechanical.” The most exciting parts of being in logistics according to Siebott is the wide areas of involvement; i.e. acquisition, contracting, construction, real estate leasing, services (maintenance of elevators, grounds maintenance, etc.) transportation, government shipments (Government Bills of Lading), Inventory Control of property and equipment and more.” Siebott indicates, “A logistic management specialist is absolutely a great career, and my previous twenty year military logistical experience prepared me for a very successful twenty five year government career”. Siebott states, “Discover your aptitude and pursue it! Being a logistics management specialist exposes you to all facets of the business world.”

Ivy Scott is a current GS-0346-13 at Communications Electronics Command (CECOM). Scott cites, “I did not choose this career field it chose me. When I made the decision to return to the Government in July 2003 after a 10-year absence, the only option available with my experience and education was the Army Material Command (AMC) Fellows 5 year program. I applied, interviewed, and got accepted into the program. The program consisted of various career programs ranging from supply to comptroller with the generic grade series GS-0301 after I completed the program; I was assigned officially to the GS-0346 series. During the five year training period, fellows advance from GS-07 to GS-13, while obtaining their Master Degrees and rotational developmental assignments.”

Scott elaborates further, “When a solider signs up for active duty he/she has chosen to put their lives on the line for their country. Their lives are now in your hands when you ensure that the systems they are using to protect themselves are fully mission capable. My most exciting and challenging part of this job is working with the various teams and outside organizations (our counter partners) in procuring the necessary parts to keep these systems fully functional without encountering any downtime. As a logistics management specialist, you are part of an ongoing team that has the opportunity to see a program from inception to grave.”

Scott states, “Knowing that you were responsible for the safety of the war fighters and any other personnel in harms way allows you to appreciate what you are doing for your country stateside.”

The typical duties of logistics management specialists are:

• Direct, develop or perform logistics management operations that involve planning, coordinating, or evaluating logistical actions that support a specified mission, weapons system or designated program.
• Perform periodic independent systems evaluations and develop recommendations for system improvements after performing thorough studies and analysis.
• Schedule and monitor funding milestone to include adequacy and timeliness.
• Monitor both organizational and contractor compliance relevant to milestone and system performance criteria.
• Collaborate and plan with various appropriate personnel to coordinate and/or integrate operations and interests of other organizations.
• Responsible for planning, managing and the coordination of the total cradle-to-grave life cycle logistics for an assigned system or subsystems, integrating separate functions of supply, maintenance, procurement and quality assurance of logistics activities needed to sustain system fielding.
• Gather facts and develop appropriate solutions to problems that require command attention due to their critical nature and are of high visibility.
• Use conflict resolution leadership to obtain agreement on required actions, schedules concerning program or policy matters.

The employment prospects for logistics related jobs are expected to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2022. The expected jobs, based on 2012 figures are 125,900 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is due to the important role logistics has in the transportation of goods in our global economy.

The federal government employs 70,917 logistic management specialists including 968 overseas and they work in all cabinet level and large agencies in fairly large numbers. The Department of the Navy hires the most with 9,516 followed by the Department of the Air Force with 7,720. The VA employs 5,546 and the DOD 4,648.

Logistic management specialists are employed throughout the federal government. They provide an important role in making sure that our logistical needs are met in peacetime and when our country is at war.

For more information about GS-0346 job series:

• GS-0346- Logistics Management (Job Listings)
• Job Series Definition

Helpful Career Planning Tools