This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), State, Area, Field Office as assigned. The purpose of the position is to serve as an NRCS expert in the provision of direct wetland determination assistance to Field Offices and producers

Duties

Services Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification requests. Assists producers and field offices on Wetland Conservation Compliance activities associated with the Swampbuster provisions of the Food Security Act, as amended. Quality assurance of wetland determinations, review and oversight of consultant-provided documentation, and reviews reports of possible wetland non-compliance. Maintains liaison with other NRCS wetland agency experts, State Compliance Coordinator, the Assist State Conservationists for Field Operations regarding wetland related activities. Provides accurate and effective training on all aspects of Wetland Conservation Compliance, including technical and policy requirements. Maintains and utilizes necessary Job Approval Authorities (JAA) through training and demonstrated performance and completion of accurate and complete Wetland Conservation Compliance assistance. Develops and maintains effective liaison with program officials, organizations, government agencies, and others interested in USDA programs. Participates in the training of NRCS personnel through meetings, training conferences, and on-the-job training and prepares job sheets, training material, handbook material, and other instructional and information material on conservation compliance. Providing overall leadership for program activities within assigned counties, makes work assignments, develops performance plans, evaluates performance, interviews candidates, and makes selections, and determines training needs. Gathers the necessary data and works in the field with producers, producer-contracted consultants, and other NRCS personnel, to conduct on-site/off-site investigations for certified wetland determinations and wetland restoration/mitigation.

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.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR 0457: Degree: 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; OR Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown in A above, including at least 12 semester hours in a 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. Evaluation of Education: Education that provided specialized knowledge and skills in soil and water conservation is more valuable than education that imparted broad but general knowledge and skills. Courses in soil fertility, soil chemistry, soil genesis, plant physiology, plant science, and field crops are examples of specialized courses that contribute towards meeting the required 12 semester hours as described above. Courses in the physical sciences or engineering such as geology, civil engineering, and hydrology also meet the soils, crops, or plant science course requirements where such courses included a complete introduction to the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. Evaluation of Experience: Experience that included the application of techniques, principles, and methods from a variety of agricultural and natural resource fields is appropriate, given the interdisciplinary character of the soil conservation occupation. For example, experience gained in a specialized field such as soil science, forestry, or agronomy is as fully acceptable as experience directly obtained in soil conservation work. BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR 0401: Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR 0470: Degree: soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility; OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Applicants who meet the Basic Education Requirement above meet the minimum qualification requirement for the GS5. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered for the GS7 and/or GS9: Specialized Experience to qualify for the GS-07 level: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Servicing Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification requests and/or; Performing quality assurance of wetland determinations and/or; Reviewing reports of wetland noncompliance and/or; Assisting producers and field offices on Wetland Conservation Compliance activities; OR Superior Academic Achievement in a bachelor's degree curriculum directly related to the work of the position. To qualify for superior academic achievement, you must have ONE of the following: (1) standing in the upper third of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; (2) grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) B+ (3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed in a related discipline, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; OR (4) election to membership in one of the national honorary scholastic societies that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Society; OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-07 level: 1 or more year(s) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or equivalent degree; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. Specialized Experience to qualify for the GS-09 level: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Servicing Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification requests and/or; Performing quality assurance of wetland determinations and/or; Reviewing reports of wetland noncompliance and/or; Assisting producers and field offices on Wetland Conservation Compliance activities and/or; Conducting on-site/offsite investigations for certified wetland determinations and wetland restoration/mitigation and/or; Servicing informal appeals of wetland determinations Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-09 level: 2 or more year(s) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or equivalent degree; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: 0401 , 0457 , 0470. 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.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. 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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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.

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.

Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Kristin Rupert
• Phone: 817-509-3400
• Email: [email protected]