The purpose of this position is to serve as conservation agronomist in support of the assigned field and/or area office staff, providing technical leadership, guidance and assistance for the agronomic phases of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington State.

Duties

Provides technical leadership and assistance in agronomic, precision agriculture, and soil health to individual land users or groups of land users. Keeps current on the latest precision agriculture, soil and plant science, biology, and pesticide and nutrient management technological developments and directs this information to the Area Agronomist and others. Solves common and diverse agronomic problems on individual farms or group projects, providing follow-up assistance to individual landowners, or groups of landowners, with existing management systems. Conducts on-the-job and formal training in agronomy for field office personnel and producers, providing information to field offices on agronomic techniques for inventorying, analyzing and selecting treatment alternatives. Assists Field Office staff to understand agronomic principals of Organic System Plans and works with Organic producers, assisting them with the planning and application of agronomic conservation practices.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position; requires operating a motor vehicle on public/private roads during the day and sometimes after dark.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Basic Education Requirement: Degree: agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management.; OR Combination of Education and Experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: GS-9Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-9 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience includes knowledge of the principles and theories of agronomy, plant science, crop science, and grazing land usage in identifying agronomic solutions for resource conservation-related problems. Examples of specialized experience include: Assists with vegetative and management practices to secure a balanced program of soil and moisture conservation; Demonstrates new and enhanced natural resources management practices to farmers and ranchers to secure the greatest possible understanding, acceptance, and application on the land; Conducts on-the-job and formal training in agronomy for field office personnel and producers, providing information to field offices on agronomic techniques for inventorying, analyzing and selecting treatment alternatives. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-9 level: 2 year(s) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in Agronomy, or one of the related disciplines or fields of science, such as plant physiology, soils, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on field crops or agronomy. Graduate study in related fields, such as botany, plant pathology, and biochemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on agronomy; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PROF 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 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

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement.

Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information.

Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Shawna Carter
• Phone: 000-000-0000
• Email: [email protected]