Multiple positions located in the Northern Region, Region 1. This professional position has responsibility for planning, administering and providing professional expertise in minerals and geology programs. For additional information about the duties of this position and individual contact information, please see EDUCATION section below.

Duties

Responsibilities are at full performance level. Determine the impacts of prospecting, exploration, development, and mining on public lands through the application of geologic principles. Duties listed below are at the full performance level. Investigate and determine the geologic limitations and capacities of projects in a specific geographical area. Maintain communication with other forest service personnel, federal and state agencies, permittees, applicants and special interest groups to provide technical advice and coordinate minerals operations. Provide recommendations regarding the existence of minerals on public lands. Conduct geologic studies and investigations to determine the effect mineral activities have on land resources. Work with operators not in compliance with Plans of Operations to reach an environmentally sound solution to logistical mining problems and take appropriate action. Work closely with miners on all phases of logical mineral operations in order to prepare necessary environmental documentation for these projects.

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

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. 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. Basic Requirement:1350 Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in: geology, plus 20 additional semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography. -OR- Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Acceptable experience may have been gained through geological field or laboratory work that provided a means of obtaining professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of geology and closely related sciences, e.g., geophysics, geochemistry, or hydrology. Such work generally must have involved making close observations, taking samples, handling various types of instruments and equipment, assembling geologic data from source materials, and analyzing and reporting findings orally and in writing. Experience that involved only one phase of geology work, e.g., collecting samples, would not be acceptable as providing the required professional knowledge of the theory and principles of geology. In some situations, professional scientific experience in other fields may be accepted in part as professional geological experience. Such experience must have been preceded by appropriate education in geology or by professional geological experience, and must have contributed directly and significantly to the applicant's professional geological competence. Examples include some positions in geophysics, mining engineering, soils science, physical oceanography, hydrology, climatology, biology, analytic or experimental chemistry, metallurgy, and comparable fields where the normal duties or results of investigations have been extended to the solution of geologic problems by the applicant. Ordinary functions of positions such as seismic, computer, petroleum or mining engineer, mine superintendent, or metallurgist generally are not considered professional geological experience. To receive credit for geological experience obtained in positions that are not full-time professional geological positions, the applicant is responsible for indicating clearly the actual time or percentage of time devoted to geologic duties within such positions, and for giving adequate descriptions of the geologic functions. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below. Specialized Experience/Educational Requirement: For the GS-09: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Examples of work experience that meet this requirement include performing TWO (2) or more of the following duties: Collected, analyzed, and reviewed soil and rock sample data and reported findings in response to a geologic inquiry or as a result of reviewing a geologic map or report; Assisted with administering mineral locatable & saleable activities and provided standard data to higher level specialists; Assisted with inspecting mineral operations for compliance and resource impacts; and/or Conducted studies or investigations on projects where minerals and geology activities had an effect on development and/or management of forest resources. -OR- Successful completion of 2 years of progressively higher level related graduate-level education leading to a master's degree and the study was obtained.in an accredited college or university. -OR- An appropriate combination of related graduate-level education(beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 18 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.) that was obtained.in an accredited college or university and specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level that is directly related to this position that together meets the qualification requirements for this position. For the GS-11: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Examples of work experience that meet this requirement include ALL of the following duties: Conducted geological studies and investigations on a variety of projects where geology and mineral activities had an effect on development and/or management of forest resources; Applied geologic principles to methods of prospecting, exploration, development, and mining, including investigating and determining the geologic limitations and capacities of projects in a specific geographical area; and/or Developed and analyzed data and prepared reports related to the responsiveness of implementation plans for environmental protection programs, including reviewing and coordinating the preparation of comments on complex environmental impact statements. -OR- Completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree and the study wasobtained.in an accredited college or university. -OR- An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.) and the education was obtained in an accredited college or university. 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

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

CONTACT INFORMATION

-Custer Gallatin National Forest, Duty Location: Red Lodge, MT. Supervisor, Sarah Hill, [email protected]

-Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, Operations, Duty Location: Townsend, Helena, Lincoln, Neihart, White Sulphur Springs, Stanford, or Harlowton, MT. Supervisor, James Opp, [email protected]

-Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Medora Ranger District, Duty Location: Dickinson or Watford City, ND. Supervisor, Jason Dekker, [email protected]

-Custer Gallatin National Forest, Duty Location (Two Positions): Bozeman or Billings, MT. Supervisor, Sarah Hill, [email protected]

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]