This position is located in Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Mississippi State Office and serves as the State Grazing Specialist on the Ecological Sciences or Technical Support staff. The incumbent assists the area offices, technical offices and field offices in all technical aspects of pasture, forage and livestock management.

Duties

Provides statewide leadership, technical guidance and training on grazing, forage and livestock management related practices assigned for incorporation into conservation plans of operation for all programs and activities administered by the agency. Development of standards and specifications, technical notes, informational materials, job sheets or implementation guides, proper grazing use related tools, and other programmatic technical information as needed for state wide distribution. Maintains a working relationship with other agencies and organizations having livestock and grassland management related interests and keeps abreast of research data. Serves as the grazing lead technical contact for key state and federal agencies, state universities, and various pasture, forage, and grassland related non government organizations. Gathers, develops, and transfers information on existing and new range and pasture management for meeting grazing objectives, controlling undesirable brush and herbaceous species, conserving soil and water, and providing wildlife habitat. Technologies include the establishment of predominantly grasses and forb, may include shrub and forest understory vegetation, through seeding or planting, and management of vegetation.

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.
• 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

Basic Education Requirement: 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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 GS-11 level: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level or higher in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. This experience requires the knowledge of a wide range of principles, concepts, and theories sufficient to perform duties concerning the development and implementation of multiple-use rangeland management plans. Examples of specialized experience include: Developing and reviewing multiple-use conservation plans on grazing lands. Providing guidance and assistance to land owners and operators, as well as field office staff, on the identification of resource concerns on grazing lands to ensure that conservation plans provide for the application of technically accurate and adequate practices. Following up with landowners to implement grazing management plans, evaluate problems, and propose land improvement alternatives. Conducting onsite measurement, monitoring, collection, and analysis of data regarding land use and natural resources conditions and trends. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-11 level: 3 year(s) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related discipline; 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-12 level: To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level higher in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. This experience requires the knowledge of a wide range of principles, concepts, and theories sufficient to perform duties concerning the development and implementation of multiple-use rangeland management plans. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience leading, planning, and coordinating a range conservation and pasture management program Serving as technical advisor to private land livestock producers Developing technical standards and specifications for resource conservation Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/. 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

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: Monica Wright
• Phone: 803-253-3938
• Email: [email protected]