This position serves as the Forest Service's national Conservation Education Director and is responsible for stewarding the agency's conservation education program which helps people of all ages understand and appreciate our nation's natural resources and ecosystems while learning how to conserve them for future generations. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Andria Weeks at [email protected].

Duties

Serves as an advisor on unit activities including conceiving and inaugurating programs conservation education to national advantage, and in coordinating policy decisions, programs and actions for which FS and the Department are responsible. Leads the development of new conservation education activities and organizational strategies and initiatives regarding the unit. Brings exceptional creativity and ingenuity to the development of plans and proposals to address complex, emerging issues affecting the conservation education program and integration with other agency programs. Oversees the development of short- and long-term objectives which support higher level strategic goals of the FS and provides for continuous analysis, performance evaluation and diagnosis to ensure progress toward those strategic objectives. Develops and long-term and annual program budget goals and objectives for assigned program consistent with agency program goals. Leads, coaches, and develops the capabilities of direct reports and their staff, contributing to a positive workplace where employees feel safe, welcome, respected, and valued. Participates with other Forest Service leaders to ensure an effective approach to delivery of administrative services including human resources, civil rights, information management, financial management, and contracting and agreements. Represents Forest Service at high level conferences/meetings with representatives from other agencies, other countries, non-governmental organizations, private industry, academia, in relation to strategic management, productivity and collaboration. Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external partners, non-governmental organizations, units of local government professional groups and other government agencies implement and support to conservation education program activities.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or 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.
• Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
• 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.gov
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the date the certificate of eligible candidates is issued. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-15: You must have one-year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as a majority of the following: Providing advice and guidance to resolve, implement, or manage program or policy issues that involved major areas of uncertainty in approach or methodology; Overseeing, coordinating, and evaluating overall educational program activities and the implementation of basic national guidelines, for ecosystems planning; Performing long-range planning and analysis of new substantive interagency programs where precedents are scarce or nonexistent; Familiarity of the principles, concepts, and techniques of environmental education and curriculum development. Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary, or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the 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. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience.

Contacts

• Address USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT. Albuquerque, NM 87109 US
• Name: HRM Contact Center
• Phone: 1-877-372-7248 X2
• Email: [email protected]