Bureau of Land Management

Geologist

Multiple Locations $50460 - $93549 PA GS Closes Nov 2, 2026

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Summary

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/02/2026-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, applicants must meet both the Individual Occupational Requirement (1) AND the Minimum Qualifications (2 or 3): 1. Individual Occupational Requirement 1350 series: A. Degree: Geology plus 20 additional semester hours in any combination of: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, engineering (structural/chemical/civil/mining/petroleum), computer science, planetary geology/comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography. (Unofficial transcripts are accepted. Official Transcripts will be required if selected.) OR B. Combination of education and experience: Course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (Your resume must include hours worked. You must provide transcripts to show how you meet the education requirements.) AND 2. Minimum qualifications GS-1350-7: A. Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level. Specialized experience is defined as performing all of the following: (1) Performing basic geological evaluation tasks for mineral leases, mineral sales, and mining operations under established procedures; (2) Carrying out surface protection and compliance activities in support of minerals program requirements under close supervision; (3) Participating in the review and processing of mining, prospecting, drilling, and mineral materials actions while preparing preliminary geological reports. OR B. Education: One year of graduate-level education (18 semester hours) in geology or a field related to the position being filled which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position. (You must include transcripts. This education is clearly supported by my transcripts provided in my application packet.) OR C. Combination: A combination of specialized experience and graduate education described that when combined totals 100% of the requirements for this position. For positions in the professional Geologist series, one full year of graduate education is defined as 18 semester hours in geology or a directly related scientific field that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the work. (You must include hours per week and transcripts.) OR D. Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing, (2) Grade-Point Average, or (3) Honor Society Membership. - (1) Class Standing: Upper one-third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses. (2) Grade-Point Average: A grade point average of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on the official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 0 (B+ or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final two years of the curriculum. (3) Election to Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society: Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Freshman scholastic honor societies cannot be used to meet the requirements of this position. NOTE: Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. 3. Minimum qualifications GS-1350-9: A. Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level. Specialized experience is defined as performing all of the following: (1) Independently reviewing minerals-related exploration, development, drilling, and operating plans and preparing technical geologic recommendations; (2) Developing and applying geologic requirements, mitigation measures, and compliance determinations for minerals activities on public lands; (3) Processing and evaluating mining, mineral materials, oil and gas, and non-energy minerals applications while preparing geologic analyses and draft decision documents. OR B. Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education (36 Semester Hours) leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in geology or a field directly related to the position being filled. (This education is clearly supported by my transcripts provided in my application packet.) OR C. Combination: A combination of qualifying education and experience. Only graduate level education that exceeds the amount required for the next lower grade level (18 credits) may be combined with experience. (This information must be supported by your resume and transcripts.) 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.

Major Duties

The classified PD assigns the major duties collectively as 100% and does not provide separate duty percentages. The following duty areas organize the PD work for job-analysis and competency-linkage purposes; they do not change the official PD or assign new work. Planning & Environmental Coordination Develops, implements, and updates the field office's geology and minerals planning inputs (inventories, development opportunities, economic data, conflicts); uses the planning system to keep land-use plans current; serves on interdisciplinary teams for minerals-related actions (e.g., free-use permits, mineral material sales, oil and gas leasing, geothermal leasing, exploration and development drilling, and mining plans of operation under 43 CFR 3809, 3802, and 3814); participates on other Bureau EA and EIS projects. Public Inquiries, Assistance & Inter-Office/Agency Coordination Provides written and oral assistance on laws, regulations, and policy governing mineral resources; establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with BLM offices, user groups, and State/Federal agencies; conducts informal coordination and consultations with landowners, operators, and field/district office staff to carry out minerals activities and related multiple-use programs. Mineral Reports & Appraisals Reviews exploration or development/operating plans for adequacy; recommends bond amounts; prepares mineral reports on salable and locatable mineral potential based on field examinations and literature searches. Surface Protection, Inspection & Enforcement; Trespass Provides technical expertise in formulating surface protection stipulations, standards, and mitigation; ensures ground compliance and prepares inspection/surface-use/mineral-potential reports; emphasizes inspection, enforcement, and production verification under 43 CFR 23 & 2800 (material site rights-of-way), 3100 (oil & gas APDs), 3150 (seismic notices), 3600 (mineral material sales, free-use, sampling/testing), 3715 (mining claim occupancy), 3802 (mining plan of operation), and 3809 (notices and mining plan of operation). Investigates suspected trespass, documents cases from discovery through prosecution or dismissal, and recommends corrective actions or suspension when operations are not conducted per regulations and approved plans. Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Determines safe abandonment procedures for mine shafts, portals, and other features; inspects and investigates mineral operations and beneficiation facilities to ensure operations are conducted in accordance with acceptable practices. Processing Leases, Permits, Notices & Plans of Operation Reviews mining, prospecting, and drilling plans for adequacy under Bureau standards, including surface protection of public lands subject to mining and leasable mineral development; processes applications for mining law, mineral materials, oil and gas, and non-energy minerals; investigates lands and mineral deposits; prepares reports leading to the issuance of permits and leases; prepares approval letters for plans and notices with provisions to protect the environment, prevent mineral waste, and reclaim disturbed lands. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. 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 www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands. A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. 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.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/02/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessment(s). All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 11/02/2026--unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13091471 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.