Job opening: Natural Resources Specialist
Salary: $46 696 - 89 835 per year
Published at: Oct 25 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with duty locations in the Oregon/Washington Districts. The primary purpose of this position is to investigate multiple use natural resource issues; manage, monitor, and enhance the resources of the Field Office; and provide a variety of technical analyses, evaluation, and recommendations that affect the achievement of sound natural resources goals.
Duties
Salary Ranges - Lakeview, OR and Spokane Valley, WA: GS-07: $46,696 to $60,703 per year; GS-09: $57,118 to $74,250 per year; and GS-11: $69,107 to $89,835 per year.
The work of this position includes performing a variety of professional and technical functions related to natural resource management.
Major Duties for the GS-07/09 level: Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.
At the full performance level (GS-11), Major Duties include, but are not limited to:
Preparing and monitoring natural resource plans to assess, improve and/or expand natural resources or to alleviate/eliminate detrimental management impacts created by other resource uses upon the landscape.
Planning and carrying-out investigations regarding natural resources concerns; conducting analysis using a variety of software systems, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Database Management Systems (i.e., Access, Excel) for report preparation.
Collecting, entering, updating, and maintaining natural resources data according to prescribed program standards; and preparing inspection and enforcement reports to document compliance and/or non-compliance with multiple use actions authorized by right of way permits and/or Notices reference Non-compliance.
Analyzing and evaluating diverse environmental conditions and proposed natural resources management actions, changing habitat conditions, and/or inspection activities for conformance with standards and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Leading and/or serving on interdisciplinary teams to draft or review analysis of potential impacts to natural resources by proposed land uses.
Providing technical assistance to a variety of internal/external stakeholders of permits and right of ways, environmental consultants, agency personnel from local, state, and Federal agencies, and/or members of the public; and/or conveying program requirements in a logical manner to subordinates, management and/or other parties outside the organization.
Requirements
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- May be required to complete background investigation.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents) prior to the closing date of this announcement.
- You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
- If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Status applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements.
- You may be required to occasionally travel overnight away from home. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.
- Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a valid State Driver’s License is required to operate four-wheel drive vehicles in remote areas, in complicated terrain. Other modes of transportation such as off highway vehicles may occasionally be used.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your official or unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.
Basic Requirement, General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series, GS-0401:
Possess a bachelor's or higher degree in biological sciences , agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Have a combination of education and experience -- Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
AND
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-07: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below:
Specialized Experience: Have one full full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following in a developmental capacity: (1) Researching, collecting, verifying, interpreting, and/or analyzing a variety of directions, regulations and information to ensure program integrity; (2) Assisting with evaluating the effects of programs on natural resources to assist with the development of landscape improvement plans; and (3) Analyzing natural resource data to compile information for the preparation of reports and/or to make presentations.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA)): Have completed a bachelor's degree with major study in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of this position such as biological sciences , agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, and meets eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) provision. S.A.A. is based on (1) Class standing-applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses; or (2) Grade-Point Average-applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (3) Election to membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society - membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
OR
Education: Have completed one (1) full academic year of graduate level education in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of this position such as biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. One year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
OR
Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience as described above that meets 100% of the requirements for this position. (To calculate, first take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months; then determine your post-high school education as a percentage). One year of full-time undergraduate study (post-high school) is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-09: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below:
Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Assisting with evaluating the effects of programs on natural resources to develop landscape improvement plans; (2) Developing monitoring plans by analyzing data for inclusion in planning documents; and (3) Analyzing natural resource data to compile information for the preparation of reports and/or to make presentations.
OR
Education: Have successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of this position such as biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education described above. (To calculate, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 18 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify).
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-11: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below:
Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Evaluating the effects of programs on natural resources to develop landscape improvement plans; (2) Identifying and resolving conventional natural resource management problems; (3) Setting objectives and goals for conducting habitat field inventories; (4) Developing monitoring plans by analyzing data for inclusion in planning documents; and (5) Analyzing natural resource data to compile information for the preparation of reports and/or to make presentations.
OR
Education: Have successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M., in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of this position such as biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education described above. (To calculate, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify).
Education
QUALIFICATIONS (Continued):
Status merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-05 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 level; one year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level; and one year at the GS-09 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).?
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
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.
You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.
EDUCATION:
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an
accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
If you are using
education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
Contacts
- Address BLM Oregon State Office
BLM Oregon State Office, OR-953
1220 SW Third
Portland, OR 97204
US
- Name: San Antonio Services Branch
- Phone: 816-541-8101
- Email: [email protected]