Forestry Technician (Timber Sale Administration)

Summary

This position is located in Region 8 on the National Forests of Mississippi in Jackson, MS and serves as the Timber Sale Contracting Officer for all timber sales and integrated resource timber contracts on the Forest. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Jackson at [email protected]. USDA Employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section.

Duties

• The duties are at the GS-12 grade level.
• Provides advice, assistance and counsel, as the Forest authority on timber sale and integrated resource timber contract preparation, appraisal, and contract practices.
• Reviews information on disputes, appeals, and litigation involving timber sale and integrated resource timber contracts to maintain a current knowledge of trends, precedent decisions, and resolutions.
• As the Contracting Officer and the Forest expert on timber sale and integrated resource timber contracts and related contract matters develops contract provisions to meet unique Forest needs and management direction
• Supervises less than 20% of the time.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or 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. 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.gov As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Selectee is subject to financial disclosure requirements and must submit form OGE-450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter. Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-10 level. Specialized experience is defined as meeting one or more of the following: Administered timber sale contracts; Identified resource concerns on the ground and coordinated applicable corrective measures; Performed timber sale preparation duties and collected timber presale information data as well as completed appraisals of timber sales and selected contract provisions based on NEPA documents; and/or Conducted cruises of timber stands to determine volume of merchantable timber, species composition, accessibility, and environmental constraints. OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., (coursework must be directly related to the position being filled such as forestry, range management, agriculture) OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester/54 quarter hours leading to a Ph.D.). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. For the GS-12: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is defined as meeting one or more of the following: Provided advice, assistance and counsel as an authority on timber sales; Provided advice and direction on contract preparation and appraisal for a variety of timber sale situations; Provided guidance and direction on the interpretation of contract provisions and conditions; and/or Provided direction and training for sale administration and sale prep team members. 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See above for substitution qualifying education. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below: Contracting/Procurement Forest Management Oral Communication Technical Competence Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred. Accomplishment Record Review: If you are found minimally qualified, a rating panel will review your resume and Accomplishment Record narratives. Accomplishment Record narratives should clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed above. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13082177 Other Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with the Forest Service. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed. The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional Information is available on the OPM Website. This is a non-bargaining unit position. Forest Service daycare facilities may be available. Government Housing may be available. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.