This position is located at the Plant Material Center (PMC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Beltsville, MD and at the USDA Headquarters People's Garden in Washington DC. This position serves as the Farm Manager of the People's Garden. The Farm Manager is responsible for running the garden, and assists PMC staff in operations and research to support natural resource conservation programs.

Duties

Determines needs for a growing season and orders necessary supplies, ensuring that crops are planted following recommended specifications. Installs and maintains garden infrastructure and tools to provide for plant needs, including irrigation, composters, and raised beds. Grow plants in a greenhouse, and ensure plants receive proper nutrients, water, light, etc. Plants and harvests food in the People’s Garden, coordinates donations to local charities. Manages volunteer events. Represents the People’s Garden and USDA and leads tours for visitors, highlighting best practices, and tailoring presentations to the audience. Maintains planting and harvest records and creates reports to document outreach accomplishments.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. 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(s) in which you are applying: GS-07 Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Identifying and addressing common horticulture issues such as weed and pest problems, and fertility or soil moisture variations; Growing crops and horticultural plants; and Operating and maintaining basic equipment for growing plants. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: At least one full year of graduate level education in a field of study directly related to the position such as mycology, plant pathology, entomology, botany, soil science, ecology, agronomy, agriculture, or horticulture. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: You must have a percentage of the education and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (You must submit transcripts.) GS-08 Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Resolving common horticulture issues such as weed and pest problems, and fertility or soil moisture variations; Supporting activities for evaluating plants and cultivars and making recommendations; Following an operational plan to appropriately irrigate, fertilize, and apply pesticides to support plant growth; and Operating and maintaining facilities and irrigation equipment for growing plants. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: At least two full years of graduate level education or a Master's degree in a field of study directly related to the position such as mycology, plant pathology, entomology, botany, soil science, ecology, agronomy, agriculture, or horticulture. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: You must have a percentage of the education and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (You must submit transcripts.) 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.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Contacts

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