This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Oklahoma Region in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units? NOTE: TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. ANY RELOCATION EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTING FOR DUTY WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE.

Duties

The incumbent completes complex property cases showing the proper legal description of the property, the past, and/or present ownership of the property, exceptions, encumbrances, liens, burdens upon or defects with the property. Serves as the authority and technical expert in a combination of federal and/or state lands, adjudication functions and requirements Routinely provides advice and guidance to other examiners, management and/or Solicitors on general legal principles, precedent decisions, and the proper application and use of varied, different, and infrequently used public land laws. Prepares cases for review, correspondence involving complicated factual situations and or difficult points of law, including applicable federal and state laws that have been since superseded. Applies the limitations of the Indian Reorganization Act upon the devise of property lying within those Indian Reservations subject to the Act. Does exhaustive research of pertinent legal questions and complex factual questions and prepares for review. Prepares cases for the Lead, and for submission to the Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs, Field Solicitor, Administrative Law Judge, United States Attorney, and the Secretary of the Interior.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
• You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
• You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
• Incidental Operator position. If you are required to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties, the 25 IAM 4 Motor Vehicle Safety Program Policy applies. A Link is provided in the Additional Information Section.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Administrative and Management Positions, AND Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0965 series). BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (IOR) REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-0965-9: Specialized experience in or directly related to examination or adjudication of cases involving laws and regulations dealing with lands and resources. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Adjudication or examination of applications and claims for the disposal, use of, or title to public lands, issuance of leases, licenses, or permits for land or resources use, and resolving conflicts arising from use. General practice of law that included substantial involvement in examinations of titles or other legal transactions involving acquisition, lease, or disposal of land. Title searching, abstracting, or interpreting land records, survey plats, or tract indexes and books, provided the work demonstrated an understanding of the laws, regulations, and policies associated with land management programs. Work as a land appraiser that involved appraisal of undeveloped or marginal-type land. GS-9 Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related. Fields related for administration of land laws, including course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. OR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:GS-9: 1 year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private section). This experience must include: Adjudication or examination of applications and claims for disposal, use of, or title to public lands, issuance of leases, or permits for land or resources use, and resolving conflicts arising from use; General practice of law that included substantial involvement in examinations of titles or other legal transactions involving acquisition, lease, or disposal of land; Title searching, abstracting, or interpreting land records, survey plats, or tract indexes and books, provided the work demonstrated an understanding of the laws, regulations, and policies associated with land management programs; Work as a land appraiser that involved appraisal of undeveloped or marginal-type land. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the position to be filled All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date. Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION

Contacts

• Address BIA Center for Recruitment Anadarko P.O. Box 1487 Anadarko, OK 73005 US
• Name: BIA Human Resources
• Phone: 405-247-1600
• Email: [email protected]