Climate Change Fellows will support the implementation of the agency's climate strategy under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) statute for better understanding and measuring the climate impacts of conservation and management practices and for improving carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) estimations. NRCS's mission is to deliver conservation solutions to agricultural producers for protecting natural resources while maintaining and enhancing agricultural land productivity.

Duties

Perform sample processing of either chemical, physical, mineralogical, biological, spectroscopic, or novel analyses. Prepare written methods and/or makes presentations about laboratory analytical results/operations according to management directives. Utilize laboratory instruments, including but not limited to; infrared spectrometers, x-ray fluorescence analyzers, automated extractors, soil moisture equipment, and other instrumentation. Participate in outreach activities according to management priorities and directives.

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.
• Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• 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. 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. Applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: Specialized Experience GS-09: To qualify for the GS-09 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-08 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Perform analytical tests on soil samples to develop interpretations and/or decision support tools. OR Graduate level education substitution GS-09: Graduate education meets the specialized experience required only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. OR Combination of education and experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above meets the requirements for the GS-09. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Note: Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. Specialized Experience GS-10: To qualify for the GS-10 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Perform and facilitate analytical tests on soil samples to develop interpretations and/or decision making; AND prepare data results for inclusion in scientific briefings, study papers, research manuscripts, or project reports. Note: There is no education substitution for specialized experience at the GS-10 grade level. Specialized Experience GS-11: To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-10 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: Perform and facilitate analytical tests on soil samples to develop interpretations and decision support tools; prepare data and results for inclusion in scientific briefings, study papers, research manuscripts, or project reports; AND implement quality control protocols to evaluate control data. Note: There is no education substitution for specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov) 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: Danielle Adams
• Email: [email protected]