[ES_JOBS_NET] Physical Science Researcher/Scientist II - Lead Avalanche Forecaster, Boulder, CO

[Christine Wiedinmyer]

*https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado/jobs/1245076/physical-science-researcher-scientist-ii-lead-avalanche-forecaster

Physical Science Researcher/Scientist II - Lead Avalanche Forecaster*
State of Colorado-Boulder, CO
$5,055 - $7,398 a month


DUTIES
There are two Lead Avalanche Forecaster positions. The positions are 
part of a reorganization of the CAIC. Previously the director and deputy 
director were the only positions that could perform administrative tasks 
and provide supervision to permanent and season staff. These positions 
will be part of a mid-level management group. The positions will act as 
coordinators and leads over program staff, developing daily work plans, 
allocating resources to achieve work plans, providing guidance and 
oversight for operational and administrative decisions. The director 
will retain formal supervisor duties, fiscal control, and timesheet 
approval.

These positions will work full-time during the operational season and 
part-time during the non-operational portion of the year. The positions 
perform three main functions: 1) work leader for forecasting operations; 
2) avalanche forecaster for backcountry and highway program; 3) Snow, 
weather, and avalanche education instructor.

# Operations Work Leader – This includes being the first point of contact 
for administrative and operation questions. Administrative duties 
include being the first point of contact for staff on State and Center 
policies, procedures, and interactions with outside groups. The 
positions will communicate with other state agencies, federal agencies, 
local governments, and search and rescue groups to provide services and 
coordinate operations. Operational duties include developing research 
plans that comprised of 1) formulating and stating a hypothesis, 2) 
developing a data collection schema that will allow the hypothesis to be 
tested 3) accounting for Type I and Type II errors in the test of the 
hypothesis, 4) describe the results of the study in written reports. The 
positions will analysis these data to accept or reject their hypothesis 
and account for potential errors (Type I and II) in that analysis as 
then report the results.
# Avalanche Forecaster – The positions will work independently and within 
a group to collect and analyze weather and snow data. This includes both 
office and field work. Office work includes analyzing snowpack and 
avalanche data to determine the character, size, time, and probability 
of future avalanches. Working in a group and independently this position 
will create hypotheses and a data collection schema that will allow 
those hypotheses to be tested. Field work includes implementing the data 
collection plan. Subsequent data analysis will be used to create public 
safety products for highway avalanche and backcountry avalanche 
programs. The field duties also include working with CDOT on highway 
operations, and supporting rescue and avalanche safety groups.
# Educator – These positions will develop curricula and tech courses on 
weather and snow and avalanche forecasting. These courses range from the 
backcountry awareness level to the professional development level.


Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal 
Rights
*ONLY CURRENT, CLASSIFIED, PERMANENT EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
NATURAL RESOURCES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THESE POSITIONS.*

*MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS*
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's 
degree in a physical science such as Physics, Engineering, Meteorology, 
Physical Geography, Hydrology, or a closely related field AND two years 
of professional avalanche forecasting experience, which included at 
least one year of experience.....

*NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS*

  * Must possess a current Wilderness First Responder certification or
    be willing and able to obtain the certification
  * Must be willing and able to work full-time as required
  * Must be willing and able to work to work early mornings, weekends,
    and holidays as needed.
  * Must be willing and able to exert up to 20 lbs of force occasionally
    and/or up to 10 lbs of force frequently
  * Must be willing and able to obtain a Type I Explosive Permit with an
    avalanche endorsement, which will require a background check
  * Must be willing and able to work with explosives
  * Must be willing and able to pass a background check for access to
    the National Weather Service - Weather Forecast Office
  * Must possess and maintain a valid state of Colorado driver's license
  * Must be willing and able to travel within the state and occasional
    out-of-state travel.
  * Ability to travel in the backcountry during the winter
  * Ability to travel on high very steep exposed portions of mountainous
    terrain
  * Must be willing and able to tolerate cold weather and wet or humid
    conditions
  * Must be willing and able to tolerate noise and vibration related to
    explosives.

*PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS*

  * Familiarity with atmospheric physics and dynamics
  * Familiarity with snow physics and avalanche dynamics
  * Experience with modern avalanche and weather forecasting techniques.
  * Experience in technical writing
  * Experience as a supervisor or work leader
  * Experience in education of people of all ages


*SUBSTITUTIONS*
A combination of work experience in the occupational field or 
specialized subject area of the work assigned to the job, which provided 
the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required 
education, may be substituted on a year-for year basis for the 
bachelor's degree but not for the specific experience.

*Appeal Rights*
It is recommended that you contact the Human Resources Specialist listed 
below to resolve issues related to your possession of minimum 
qualifications. However, if you receive notice that you have been 
eliminated from consideration for the position, you may protest the 
action by filing an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State 
Personnel Director within 10 days from the date you receive notice of 
the elimination.

Also, if you wish to challenge the selection and comparative analysis 
process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State 
Personnel Director within 10 days from the receipt of notice or 
knowledge of the action you are challenging.

Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and 
Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for more 
information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules 
and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures are available at 
www.colorado.gov/spb.

A standard appeal form is available at: www.colorado.gov/spb. If you 
appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal 
form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the 
following address within 10 days of your receipt of notice or knowledge 
of the action: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, 
Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 
80203. Fax: 303-866-5038. Phone: 303-866-3300. The ten-day deadline and 
these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination.

Supplemental Information
*NOTE: Applicants must submit both a detailed cover letter and résumé at 
time of application.*

Comparative analysis factors to be assessed:
Technical Competence – Technical experience as it relates to the duties 
outlined in this job announcement.
Leadership – Excellent leadership, supervisory and team building skills.
Depth and Breadth of Experience – Experience that covers multiple areas 
outlined in this job announcement. Experience should be varied and not 
one dimensional, and demonstrate progressively higher level of 
responsibility with a wide range of customer service.
Job Fit – Experience will be evaluated to determine how well your past 
experience aligns with and meets the business needs of this position. 
Current experience is preferred.

Colorado Revised Statutes require that all state employees be hired and 
promoted through comparative analysis of merit and fitness. Part or all 
of the assessment for this position may include a review of your 
application materials. Application materials will be reviewed by a Human 
Resource Specialist and/or Subject Matter Expert to determine if you 
meet the minimum requirements for the position. If you are notified that 
you do not meet the minimum qualifications, you will be given two 
business days from the date of the notification to submit an addendum in 
order to attempt to resolve the matter. It is recommended that you 
submit the addendum or contact the Human Resources Specialist listed 
below immediately to resolve issues related to your possession of 
minimum qualifications.

Upon meeting the minimum qualifications, the next phase of the 
assessment process may consist of a structured application review. 
Utilizing your application, résumé and cover letter, the review would be 
a comparative analysis against the listed required competencies and job 
duties in this announcement to determine technical competence, depth and 
breadth of experience and job fit. It is imperative that you provide 
adequate detail on your application, résumé and cover letter to describe 
how you meet and/or exceed the requirements for this position. The 
materials may also be used to assess and rank applicants who meet the 
minimum requirements; to identify a top group to proceed to the next 
step in the assessment process; or establish an eligible list for 
referral to the hiring manager for final consideration.

Upload additional pages if necessary to fully explain your experience 
and accomplishments. Failure to include adequate information or follow 
instructions by the deadline for application may result in your 
application not being accepted for this position and may affect your 
inclusion as a qualified candidate in any of the steps in the assessment 
process and placement on the eligible list.

*Toll–Free Applicant Support - Technical Help*
If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. 
uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV 
at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). Helpful 
hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to 
your application, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files. 
Then close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.

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