Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. This position is located in Lewistown, Montana. Information about Lewistown, MT and the surrounding area can be found at Lewistown, MT. We expect to fill 1 vacancy and if needed, other locations within the Montana/Dakotas State, District or Field offices may be considered based on need and management discretion.

Duties

Selection at the GS 07 or GS 09 level, the incumbent will perform the duties of the position, with a reduced level of responsibility and/or difficulty, while receiving on-the-job trainee assignments or other appropriate training. At full performance level, duties include, but not limited to, the following: Provides soil and/or ecological site description data, information, and land use planning, restoration projects, and permitted actions. Assists with/conduct investigations of soil, topography, and climate to obtain data for multiple use resource activities. Operates computer programs, including Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and spatial data management systems to ensure resource management objectives are met. Participates as a member of an Interdisciplinary team to assess all planning actions and outline recommended design features incorporation into environmental assessments (EAs), and other lower level planning documents.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• Direct Deposit Required.
• Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
• An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
• May require a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Specialized Experience: GS 07: In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Assist with basic soil inventories, slope stability assessments, soil productivity ratings, and watershed resource inventories; assist with the identification, interpretation, classification, and description of soil profiles based on field examination and determination of chemical and physical characteristics; acquire soil identification data, interpret data, and describe impacts as a result of surface disturbing projects including soil rehabilitation and remediation. -OR- Education: Successfully completed 1 year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in soil science, environmental science, watershed or restoration ecology, range/plant science, natural resources and rangeland ecology, watershed management, land resources, geology or directly-related field. - OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. GS 09: In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Conduct basic soil inventories, slope stability assessments, soil productivity ratings, and watershed resource inventories; provide advice on soil productivity, suitability, and limitations for natural resource management activities; prepare basic technical reports with soil descriptions, interpretations, and recommendations for management activities; interpret ecological site description data, geological maps, aerial photographs, climatological or other data to assess shifting trends in vegetative communities. -OR- Education: Successfully completed 2 year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in soil science, environmental science, watershed or restoration ecology, range/plant science, natural resources and rangeland ecology, watershed management, land resources, geology or directly-related field. - OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. GS 11: In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Independently conduct soil inventories, slope stability assessments, soil productivity ratings, and watershed resource inventories; recommend design features for natural resource management activities based on chemical and physical soil properties and ecological site description information provided in soil surveys. -OR- Education: Successfully completed 3 year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in soil science, environmental science, watershed or restoration ecology, range/plant science, natural resources and rangeland ecology, watershed management, land resources, geology or directly-related field. - OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level. Physical Demands: Fieldwork requires gathering samples and other data, monitoring and inventory activities, and participation in project work. This work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of walking, standing, bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, lifting or riding in or driving vehicles over rough, uneven, or rocky terrain. The work requires the ability to travel into remote locations on foot or by vehicles (two and four-wheel drive trucks or UTV's) under a wide variety of climatic conditions and elevations. Work may also include lifting of moderately heavy items, such as equipment and samples. Field work may also involve working in areas characterized by burning vegetation, snags and other dangers inherent to wildfire. Work Environment: Field work encompasses a variety of terrains, climates and temperature extremes. This work requires physical exertion to examine subsurface soil characteristics. Field work involves use of motorized and non-motorized equipment, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters that may constitute a hazard. May be subject to hostile wildlife or livestock, chemical, and physical hazards. May be exposed to poisonous insects, plants, and reptiles. Exercise prudent judgment and take safety precautions.

Education

Basic Requirement:
Degree: Must have successfully completed a full 4-year bachelor's degree program in soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.

OR

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation.

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Contacts

• Address BLM Montana State Office BLM Montana State Office, MT-933 Branch of Human Resources 5001 Southgate Drive Billings, MT 59101 US
• Name: Sabrina Barber
• Phone: 406-740-3073
• Email: [email protected]