Serves as a Resource Conservationist under the Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources and is responsible for Watershed programs which include Watershed Operations, Watershed Rehabilitation and Emergency Watershed Protection, conservation programs, policies, and procedures to provide technical advice and management leadership to implement programs and facilitate attainment of agency performance goals. *Duty location, within the state of Louisiana, to be determined at hire

Duties

Serve as the Watershed planning specialist for North Louisiana. Coordinates the overall functions of a watershed planning team. Provide guidance, training, and assistance to field and state office staff in all aspects of Watershed Planning. Develops and recommends state policies and procedures to govern watershed planning and  rehabilitation planning. Develops state business plan action items related to watershed operations and watershed rehabilitation. Represents NRCS in reconciling diverse and influential interests regarding planning activities. Maintains working relationship with the NRCS National Watershed Division and NRCS National Water Management Center. Inform supervisor of significant progress or difficulties encountered in accomplishing program objectives and alerts the supervisor when a sensitive issue appears.

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.
• Incumbent is required to obtain Conservation Planning Level II (Certification Conservation Planner

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: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled (e.g. one year at the GS-09 grade level for consideration for the GS-11 grade level). Basic Education Requirement - 0401: 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. Basic Education Requirement - 0457: Degree: oil conservation or a related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science; OR Combination of Education and Experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines shown above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or education comparable to a 4 year degree. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 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. This experience is where experience required the knowledge of the principles and theories of soil and water conservation and related sciences such as biology, agronomy, and forestry, in identifying conservation related problems. For this position, specialized experience is defined as, ASSISTING IN: Evaluating the performance of soil and water conservation programs sufficient to develop, propose, and recommend significant program innovations or changes in conservation program criteria; Analyzing and evaluating area soil and water resources and environmental conditions adversely affecting agricultural production, areas used for residential and commercial purposes, and conditions contributing to soil erosion and surface or groundwater pollution, and; Advising community and rural organizations and groups on developing conventional conservation plans and interpreting soil survey data and needed erosion control measures; OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-11 level: three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering; 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, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience is where experience required the knowledge of the principles and theories of soil and water conservation and related sciences such as biology, agronomy, and forestry, in identifying conservation related problems. For this position, specialized experience is defined as: Evaluating the performance of soil and water conservation programs sufficient to develop, propose, and recommend significant program innovations or changes in conservation program criteria; Analyzing and evaluating area soil and water resources and environmental conditions adversely affecting agricultural production, areas used for residential and commercial purposes, and conditions contributing to soil erosion and surface or groundwater pollution, and; Advising community and rural organizations and groups on developing conventional conservation plans and interpreting soil survey data and needed erosion control measures; OR 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/#url=GS-PROF 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: Jason Bell
• Email: [email protected]