The incumbent serves as a Resource Conservationist under the Assistant State Conservationist for Programs on the Programs staff and is responsible for conservation programs, policies, and procedures to provide technical advice and management leadership to implement programs and facilitate attainment of agency performance goals.

Duties

Quantifies, prioritizes, and manages the allocation of funds, time and resources needed for the implementation of Farm Bill programs, conservation compliance, program quality assurance, natural resource conservation planning Provides guidance, training, and assistance to field and state office staff in all aspects of natural resource conservation program implementation. Contributes to policy development and formulates state procedures for all aspects of natural resource conservation program implementation activities. Develop technical guidance and information for use by NRCS field personnel and interagency partners to solve resource problems relating to natural resource conservation program implementation. The incumbent informs the 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. 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) .Basic Education Requirement - 0401: Degree: in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: includes courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, PLUS appropriate experience or additional education. This combination is comparable to successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field as shown above. Basic Education Requirement - 0457: Degree: Soil 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 GS11: 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 includes: Assisting with conservation programs; Assisting with conservation program development; Assisting with Farm Bill programs; Provides technical guidance for conservation programs and funding eligibility; Assisting with conservation related appeals or mediations; Assisting with providing solutions to landowners, residents, and/or land managers. 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 GS12: 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: Providing leadership, guidance and support for conservation programs; Developing materials in support of program development; Providing technical guidance and/or training of Farm Bill programs; Explaining and implementing/managing conservation programs and funding eligibility; Communicating and sharing Farm Bill program information including appeals; Explaining issues related to conservation planning and conservation programs; Providing solutions to landowners, residents, and/or land managers; Provides leadership and guidance on program appeals and mediations. 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

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: Darleen Vaterlaus
• Phone: 503-273-2427
• Email: [email protected]