This position serves as the Farm Foreman responsible for managing field and facility operations and assisting the Plant Materials Center (PMC) staff in collecting and documenting plant performance of conservation plants to support conservation programs. This position supports the PMC mission of providing plant related information to Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to support conservation planning for their clients. This position is located in Big Flats, NY at the USDA NRCS PMC.

Duties

Responsible for establishing and maintaining research plots. Irrigates, fertilizes, and applies pesticides according to the study plan. Assists with monitoring plantings, harvesting plots, collecting data, and data entry. Establishes and maintains seeds and plant production fields. Manages farm operations, including establishing and maintaining production and research plantings, managing field staff , and collecting study data. Operates and maintains farming equipment, building facilities, and grounds. Assists with Plant Materials Center (PMC) planning and management, and participates in technology transfer activities.

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.
• Employee must obtain, within one year of employment, a New York state pesticide applicators license for conducting plant research and the production of agricultural crops, grasslands, non-crop agricultural lands, sods, flowers and shrubs.

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: Operating agricultural equipment and managing field preparation and maintenance activities; Coordinating seed production, processing, and handling to ensure quality control; Assisting in the evaluation of research plots and collecting plant or soil data; Operating and maintaining equipment for vegetation monitoring and data collection; and Providing information to other employees and customers about natural resource programs. (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 agricultural sciences or plant sciences. (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: Repairing, maintaining and operating agricultural equipment and managing field preparation and maintenance activities; Coordinating, developing and improving methods for seed production, processing and handling to ensure quality control; Evaluating research plots and collecting plant or soil data; Monitoring planting for pest or other problems and address issues; and Providing information to other employees and customers about natural resource programs. (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 such as agricultural sciences or plant sciences. (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]