This position is located in the Programs Division of the Oregon State Office in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. This position will assist in providing statewide leadership, guidance, and support in the implementation of farm bill conservation programs, specifically on the promotion and implementation of the Conservation Stewardship Program. (CSP) This is not a remote position. Locations in Portland or NRCS OR Field offices with available space.

Duties

Performs other duties as assigned and as determined by the ASTC-Programs. Serves as state program coordinator for the implementation of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Advises Assistance State Conservationist for Programs supervisor on aspects related to operation and management of CSP. Works closely with basin leadership on CSP topics such as fund pools, ranking, timelines, funds availability, national initiatives, new policies, data calls, etc. Serves as state contact for CSP related questions including policy and process related topics.

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.
• Duty location is Portland, OR; may be negotiable within the state of Oregon. Applicants interested in duty locations not specifically listed on the announcement are encouraged to communicate location availability during the interview stage.

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. Basic Requirement for National Resources Specialist GS-0401- 11/12 A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: GS-11-Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes coordinating conservation planning projects with diverse stakeholders, such as farmers, ranchers, government entities, and local community organizations, ensuring program data is properly maintained, to include but not limited to screening and ranking tools, proper outreach services. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. GS-12 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 must include coordinating conservation planning projects with diverse stakeholders, such as farmers, ranchers, government entities, and local community organizations, ensuring program data is properly maintained, to include but not limited to screening and ranking tools, proper outreach services as well as updating program policies and procedures to maintain program performance, and conducting project reviews and/or audits to maintain contractual conformance for all easement and land management plans. 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-11 grade level for consideration for the GS-12 grade level). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401 (opm.gov) 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

Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level.

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: Amy Scott
• Email: [email protected]