Dive Safety Officer

This Dive Safety Officer position is with Geological Survey (Department of the Interior) in Phoenix, AZ. You will serve as a Dive Safety Officer with U.S. Geological Survey. This position serves as the Senior Bureau-level Scientific Diving Program Manager providing direction for the Scientific Diving Program. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. Salary reflected is based on General Schedule (RUS) pay table. For locality pay information, click here. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. Key duties: • This is not a remote position. Duty station location is negotiable after selection. The duty station of this position may be any USGS office location that is agreed upon by the selecting official and the selectee. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses are not authorized. Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Prepares new or revised standards, policies, guidance, training, and procedures in support of USGS scientific diving missions. Develops training to address the needs of the missions of USGS scientific divers. Provides technical scientific diving expertise and assistance in support of underwater scientific research. Works with regional dive leads, dive groups, and cooperators to ensure safe scientific dive operations. Serves as the senior, lead USGS Dive Safety Officer, is an authorized USGS diver, and serves as the Dive Safety Board Chair. Performs independent external safety audits of dive safety programs and documents results. Conditions of Employment for this Position: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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. Qualifications: Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/21/2026 - 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. Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified. You must possess the following certifications: Scuba Instructor Divemaster Rescue Diver Advanced Open Water Diver Basic Scuba Diver Basic Life Support/Diving First Aid Emergency Oxygen Administration. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Experience that demonstrates scientific diving program management, including development, implementation, and evaluation of dive safety policies, procedures, and training; oversight of scientific diving operations and personnel; application of advanced knowledge in dive physiology, hyperbaric medicine, and diving technology; and ensuring compliance with federal regulations and standards governing scientific diving. Experience must include independent authority to guide and advise on complex or novel diving situations and to lead investigations, audits, and programmatic improvements across a large and diverse scientific diving program. You must include hours per week worked. 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. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.