This position is on the Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations staff, assigned to a field or area office in the assigned state, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The purpose of this position is to provide technical expertise to the field and area staff in conservation planning and application, quality assurance, farm bill programs, and contracting, performance reporting, and geographic information system.

Duties

Provides leadership, technical guidance, interpretations, and recommendations to assigned technical staff, Field Offices, Area Offices, and the Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations (ASTC-FO). Provides support to field office staff in implementing National and State Conservation planning policies, procedures, and requirements of the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). Reviews plans submitted by field staff for Certified Conservation Planner status or re-certification; also provides recommendations to the ASTC (FO) for those seeking to attain or maintain this certification. Provides direction in the completion of program contracts, including review for accuracy; and verifies appropriate documentation on file which includes any requested contract modifications. Develops innovative techniques and recommends technical and administrative changes where needed to improve program quality and efficiency. Analyzes the quality of development and application of conservation plans within the area assigned. Reviews area office and/or field office staffs work for accuracy, completeness, appropriateness, and timeliness on an as-needed basis, provides informal OJT training while they are providing production assistance to the Field Office staff.

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.

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-9 grade level for consideration for the GS-11 grade level and one year at the GS-11 grade level for consideration for the GS-12 grade level). 0401 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 0457 Basic Education Requirement: Degree: soil conservation or 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 as shown in A above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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. Evaluation of Education: Education that provided specialized knowledge and skills in soil and water conservation is more valuable than education that imparted broad but general knowledge and skills. Courses in soil fertility, soil chemistry, soil genesis, plant physiology, plant science, and field crops are examples of specialized courses that contribute towards meeting the required 12 semester hours as described above. Courses in the physical sciences or engineering such as geology, civil engineering, and hydrology also meet the soils, crops, or plant science course requirements where such courses included a complete introduction to the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. Evaluation of Experience: Experience that included the application of techniques, principles, and methods from a variety of agricultural and natural resource fields is appropriate, given the interdisciplinary character of the soil conservation occupation. For example, experience gained in a specialized field such as soil science, forestry, or agronomy is as fully acceptable as experience directly obtained in soil conservation work. 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 GS-11: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. Examples of specialized experience include: Utilizing technical tools, systems, and databases (Customer Service Toolkit, Conservation Desktop, Protracts, GIS/ArcGIS, etc.) in support of conservation activities. Providing technical support and training to others on the use of electronic business tools related to conservation planning or implementation. Serves as staff specialist on conservation planning issues, including support and management of conservation planning certification that result from the implementation of NRCS programs and activities in the state. Inspects and evaluates resource conservation planning and practice application performed by field personnel and provides technical guidance to soil conservationists and others engaged in resource conservation planning. Works within a team to develop and implement ways to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of the products and/or services provided to internal and external customers. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience (0401) for the GS-11 level: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in (0401) biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position or (0457) soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: Must have a 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. You must submit transcripts). Specialized Experience GS-12: 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 the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Providing leadership, technology development, technology transfer, and technical assistance for use of NRCS business tools in the state. Providing technical support for use of Conservation Desktop (CD) and Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART) within the state. Analyzes training needs and develops training programs specific to conservation planning; provides guidance and training to area and field headquartered staff, district conservationists and technical service providers. Conducts Quality Assurance Reviews for NRCS activities, including reviews for the adequacy of conservation planning, compliance with NRCS policy, and compliance with NRCS program requirements. Develops training as needed and requested. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Professional and Scientific Positions. 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 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: Laurie Jacques
• Phone: 919-376-8825
• Email: [email protected]