This position is located in the State Conservationist office, assigned to a field office or area office in the assigned state, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The purpose of the position is to assist the field offices and staff in developing and implementing a comprehensive natural resource conservation program.

Duties

Provides information and advice to landowners with conservation plans and programs to optimize resource management and to ensure compliance with agency standards and specifications. Provides technical assistance and guidance to area and field offices to assist in application of various types of natural resource conservation programs, ensuring conservation goals are effectively and efficiently achieved. Assists landowners and operators in developing a wide variety of conservation plans according to established policies and procedures and in accordance with landowners' decisions. Provides program support to team resource conservationists, field office (FO) personnel and technical service providers (TSPs) in carrying out all Farm Bill Programs

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US 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. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit--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 at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
• The incumbent is required to obtain Conservation Planning Certification in accordance with the guidelines in General Manual 180 Part 409.3.

Qualifications

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Please note that this job opportunity announcement is only open to current Career/Career-Conditional employees of the USDA. If you do not possess this status, you will not receive consideration. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted). One year at the GS-07 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. Basic Requirement for the Soil Conservationist - 0457 Series: Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. (You must submit transcripts.); OR Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, agricultural engineering or a closely related, including at least 12 semester hours in combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. 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. (You must submit transcripts.) In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying: To Qualify at the GS-09 Level: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service that included: Providing technical assistance and guidance on various types of natural resource conservation programs; Collecting data to update and modify natural resources technical guides; and Assisting landowners in ensuring compliance with conservation standards and specifications. OR Education: Must have at least two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field such as soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. (Must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: a combination of the specialized experience and graduate education as described above, such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for this specialty and grade. Only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours may be used when combining education and experience for this specialty and grade. (Must submit transcripts and be reflected in resume.) To Qualify at the GS-11 Level: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service that included: Preparing reports and analyses in order to recommend and justify natural resource management strategies; Assisting in the development of a variety of conservation plans for landowners; Collecting data to update and modify natural resources technical guides; and Assisting landowners in ensuring compliance with conservation standards and specifications. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field such as soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. (Must submit transcripts.) ???????OR Combination: a combination of the specialized experience and graduate education as described above, such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for this specialty and grade. Only graduate education in excess of the first 36 semester hours may be used when combining education and experience for this specialty and grade. (Must submit transcripts and be reflected in resume.) 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). 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information.

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Midwest Services Branch
• Phone: 8164265706
• Email: [email protected]