This position is located in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state, area, or field office in Bangor and Lewiston, Maine. The incumbent assists the area/zone or similar engineer and is responsible for providing basic technical guidance and in-the overall planning, design, installation, and maintenance of the engineering phases of soil and water conservation practices.

Duties

Coordinates and supervises the planning, design and construction of engineering practices such as water management, animal waste management, erosion control, flood control, wetland creation or restoration, and other conservation practices. Directs the type, scope, and intensity of field investigations and surveys needed for the practice implementation. Directs and prepares designs, preliminary and final drawings and specifications on complex engineering practices. Directs and performs site investigations and feasibility studies; field checks and field construction checks for conservation practice installations. Assists the Leadership in determining the training needs of the field personnel engaged in engineering work.

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 work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of standing, traversing steep slopes and rough construction sites, reaching, bending and stooping, jumping across shallow ditches, walking in soft, muddy and slippery conditions.
• Lifting and carrying equipment and samples that weigh up to 50 pounds.
• Frequent trips to field sites involve exposure to construction equipment and the environment, and extreme temperatures of hot and cold. Fieldwork is performed on a regular and recurring basis.
• Protective gear and clothing such as a hard hat, boots, and gloves may be necessary during field visits and in the area of moving machinery.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the Basic Requirements for this position to be considered. (Must submit transcripts) - SEE REQUIREMENTS IN EDUCATION SECTION 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(s) in which you are applying: GS-7: You must meet one of the following: A. One full year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service, performing duties such as: Applying standard engineering practices, design, construction, planning and operations to an engineering project; Assisting in the installation of projects from simple farm projects to basic watershed projects; and Utilizing engineering surveying equipment. B. A Bachelor's degree in engineering with Superior Academic Achievement. See education section below for definition of superior academic achievement. C. One year (18 semester hours) of graduate level education in engineering or a closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the work of the position. D. A combination of specialized experience as described in 'A' and graduate level education as described in 'C' that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement. E. Have successfully completed a five-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering. F. Have an engineering bachelor's degree AND have appropriate specialized experience as an Engineering Technician equivalent to grade GS-5 or higher. GS-09: You must meet one of the following: A. At least one full-time year of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Assisting with designs, drawings, and specifications on engineering practices with natural resources conservation; Utilizing engineering design and software to conduct evaluations, develop construction drawings and construction specifications; and Participating in meetings regarding engineering projects in collaboration with other personnel. B. 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or Master's or equivalent graduate degree in engineering or other directly related discipline. C. Combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. Note: Only graduate level education beyond the first year or 18 semester hours may be combined with specialized experience. D. A Bachelor's degree in engineering with Superior Academic Achievement and have one year of professional engineering experience.See education section below for definition of superior academic achievement.Professional engineering experience is defined as non-routine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. See How You Will Be Evaluated section for more information. E. Completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering and 1 year of appropriate professional experience. Professional engineering experience is defined as non-routine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. See How You Will Be Evaluated section for more information. GS-11: You must meet one of the following: A. At least one full-time year of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Preparing designs, drawings, and specifications on engineering practices within natural resources conservation Assisting with on-the-job training to field office staff to improve engineering skillset and performance; Developing statements of work and other related materials to ensure contracted work is consistent with contract terms; and Assisting with the quality review of conservation engineering projects. B. 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in engineering or other directly related discipline. C. Combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. Note: Only graduate level education beyond 2 years or 36 semester hours may be combined with specialized experience. GS-12 Specialized Experience: At least one full-time year of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Planning or designing of construction projects for conservation practices and water resource structures such as water management, animal waste management, erosion control, flood control, stream restoration, wetland creation or restoration; Performing calculations of earthwork, concrete, steel, conduits, and other materials to prepare construction estimates and bills of material; Initiating and coordinating measures to resolve identified engineering problems and recommends necessary changes; Making field checks to review feasibility of plans or progress on agricultural engineering projects; and Providing technical guidance and training to personnel on engineering and conservation practices or use and care of engineering equipment. 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.

Education

Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the following:
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. (You must submit licensure or registration.)
2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. (You must submit documentation)
3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Superior Academic Achievement: Must meet the qualifications for Superior Academic Achievement, which include a bachelor's degree in engineering and meet ONE of the following:

1. A grade point average of B (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for your completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;
2. A grade-point average of B+ (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in the major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;
3. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision; or
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Note: If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society. NOTE: You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.

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]