This position will be located at the Oregon State Office of the NRCS and will report to the State Resource Conservationist. This position will work as part of an interdisciplinary ecological sciences team. The purpose of this position is to provide leadership and technical guidance in coordination and integration of the biology program in aquatic habitats, conservation planning and application, technology development and transfer, training, and quality assurance statewide.

Duties

Serve as a member of the ecological sciences technical team focusing on resource planning and development with wide latitude for independent decisions and actions. Propose, author, review, amend, and adopt national and interim conservation practice standards and develop guidance for agency employees to implement conservation practices effectively in aquatic habitats. Assist with Endangered Species Act, Essential Fish Habitat, and other compliance as needed and develop agency guidance as appropriate to assist agency compliance with federal and state law, as appropriate. Offer guidance in the establishment, management, and quality assurance of conservation practices and activities in areas targeted for wildlife habitat improvements, mostly in aquatic habitat environments. Evaluate the results of land treatment and management, study problems and field conditions, recommend practices needed and help develop procedures and techniques for their application on other locations where similar problems are encountered. Assist in the development of plans of operations, setting realistic goals and determining conservation needs. Assist with training a workforce to identify habitat needs and opportunities. Communicate and collaborate with other West Region biologists to improve consistency and efficiency across state lines Foster new and maintain existing relationships with partner organizations, agencies, and sovereign nations, and when appropriate, serve on inter-agency teams.

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.
• Physical Demands: Incumbent will be in adequate physical condition to travel over difficult terrain (mountains, marshes, swamps, etc.) all seasons of the year during all forms of climate conditions.
• Work requires long periods of standing, walking, bending, and similar activities associated with duties performed outdoors. Work can include frequent lifting of equipment weighing 45 pounds.
• Work Environment: The work is performed in the office and the field. Field work involves exposure to moderate risks and discomforts such as adverse weather conditions, and poisonous insects, plants and snakes.
• Safety precautions and protective clothing are required.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted). Time-in-grade requirements also apply to VEOA applicants having held a GS position in the past year. See addition information. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Basic Education Requirement: Degree: Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in biological science that included at least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology; AND at least 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects (Excess courses in wildlife biology may be used to meet the zoology requirements where appropriate.); AND at least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify your education; OR Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify 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: 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: Specialized Experience at the GS-11:One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Providing guidance on the establishment, revision, and correlation of soil and vegetative interpretations; Assisting wildlife, aquatic, upland, and wetland resource activities to achieve program consistency; and Maintaining contacts regarding wildlife and wetland issues with officials both internal and external to the agency. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) OR Education: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Major course of study must be in a field directly related to the work of this position such as biological science. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify education. OR Combination: 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. Only graduate level education in excess of two years (36 semester hours) may be combined with specialized experience. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify education. Specialized Experience at the GS-12:One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Serving as technical expert on wildlife biology and soil and vegetative interpretations; Coordinating wildlife, aquatic, upland and wetland resource activities to achieve program consistency; Establishing and maintaining contacts regarding wildlife and wetland issues with officials both internal and external to the agency; and Providing policy guidance to professionals involved in the planning, design, and implementation of a natural resource program. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. 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]