Job opening: Land Law Examiner
Salary: $37 696 - 60 703 per year
Published at: Nov 02 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
Explore a career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.
These positions are located in:
2 - Phoenix, AZ - AZ State Office
1 - Phoenix District Office
1 - Safford, AZ
1 - Tucson, AZ
Information about the location can be found at:
Phoenix, AZ
Safford, AZ
Tucson, AZ
We expect to fill 5 vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.
Duties
Reviews and makes determinations on applications for rights-of-way for oil and gas pipelines, transmission line, and roads, trails and highways.
Processes relinquishments, proofs of construction and administrative charges and rental fees paid in connection with the grants.
Reviews and processes the full range of lands and minerals cases for accuracy and completeness. Develops facts and evidence and applies appropriate laws and policies for specific cases.
Prepares correspondence requesting additional information and makes decisions concerning the application or claim and ensures compliance with pertinent regulations.
Determines whether applicant is eligible to acquire interests; verifies acreage and land descriptions; and prepares notices of decision.
Prepares necessary leases, permits, grants, and other documents involving appropriate provisions as to rent and other payments, limitations and stipulations.
If necessary, ensures that environmental documents have been prepared and approved, and are incorporated onto the official case record.
Researches BLM and other land records to determine land ownership, types of ownership, rights, encumbrances, withdrawals, restrictions, and other land status for case processing or public inquiries.
Utilizes data, systems and applications to collect, enter, manipulate, update and maintain data according to prescribed Bureau and program standards. Ensures data quality and integrity by adherence to quality control standards and procedures.
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.
- If selected for this position, you will be required to annually complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty. You will be required to provide this information annually.
- May require a one year probationary period.
- This is a Bargaining Unit position.
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.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying 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 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. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.
For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
For GS-05: You must possess three (3) full years of progressively responsible general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is further defined as experience that provided a familiarity with real property laws and legal land descriptions, land titles, tract maps, and legal documents, or other experience that involved explanation, application, or interpretation of laws, regulations, policies, etc. Such experience may have been gained in positions such as law clerk, claims examiner, contact representative, or other work dealing with laws, rules, regulations, procedures, etc.; -OR- You must have completed a 4-year course of study to a bachelor's degree; -OR- You must have a combination of education and experience as described above.
For GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is further defined as assistance in the examination of applications and claims for the disposal, use of, or title to public lands, issuance of leases, licenses, or permits for land or resources use; title searching, interpreting land records; work as a land appraiser; general practice of law that included involvement in legal transactions involving acquisition, lease, or disposal of land. -OR- completed one (1) full year (18 semester hours) of graduate level education leading to a master's degree or equivalent that included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours or course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples: course work in surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and have at least 12 semester hours of coursework related to the administration of land laws.
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.
Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary. Some walking and bending is involved when working with records and files.
Work Environment: The work is in a typical office setting.
Education
Transcripts: If using education to qualify, submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. 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.
Contacts
- Address BLM Arizona State Office
BLM Arizona State Office, AZ-953
One North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85002
US
- Name: Michael Hurd
- Email: [email protected]