You will provide guidance and technical assistance to landowners, groups, and government units in developing and applying natural resource conservation programs in urban communities, suggesting alternate land uses and treatments, and consolidating decisions into a comprehensive urban resource conservation plan.

Duties

Work with the NRCS State Technical Committee and the NRCS State Leadership Team to develop program priorities and guidelines for urban areas. Develop and implement an annual work plan to achieve NRCS urban conservation goals. Identify resources needed to support operations such as funding, staff, or equipment to effectively carry out agency's mission. Identify and assess natural resource problems and concerns in urban agricultural operations, such as clean drinking water, food access, and housing issues Deliver and explain resource conservation plans and Farm Bill programs contracts. Manage the application of the planned resource management system.

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-09 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). Basic Requirements: Degree: Must have a bachelor's or higher degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (You must submit transcripts.) or Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, 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. (You must submit transcripts.) In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement to be considered: To qualify for the GS-11 grade level: Specialized Experience: You must have 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: Promoting the benefits of urban conservation and sustainable practices through soil testing, urban forestry, green roofs, native planting, and storm water retention; Engaging with landowners to address their concerns and foster a collaborative approach to soil and water resource conservation in urban areas; and Utilizing various software programs to efficiently gather, manipulate, and present data for various reports to support conservation efforts. OR Education:You must have at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. The major course of study must be in a field directly related to the work of this position. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: You must have a combination of graduate 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. NOTE: Only graduate education beyond two years (36 semester hours) may be used when combining education and experience for this specialty and grade. (You must submit transcripts and experience must be reflected in resume.) To qualify for the GS-12 grade level: Specialized Experience: You must have 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. Examples of specialized experience include: Promoting urban conservation practices, including soil testing, urban forestry, green roofs, native planting, and storm water retention, to communities and groups to address urban resource challenges; Conducting meetings with landowners to discuss the key aspects of urban soil and water resource conservation to ensure sustainable practices are implemented effectively; Utilizing various software programs to integrate urban conservation efforts and improve program efficiency; and Communicating scientific information in an accessible and engaging manner to various professional organizations and the public. 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 experiences, 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: Sheila Grass
• Phone: 602-280-8895
• Email: [email protected]