Soil Conservationist

Summary

This position is located in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Field Operations division, Elko Field branch, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The incumbent will serve as a District Conservationist assisting the Conservation District(s) within the managerial unit, consisting of at least one county or district, in the development of a comprehensive natural resources conservation program.

Duties

• Independently provides leadership with conservation planning of natural resources and other activities in cooperation with the Conservation District, tribes, and conservation partners to address resource concerns on private lands.
• Contracting which will include informing the landowner of the participant responsibilities, joint agreements, establishing Conservation Program Contracts in Protracts, requirements of the contract file.
• Works in collaboration with landowner to provide detailed conservation system and practice implementation including conservation practice design, layout, construction, inspection and certification.
• Executes oversight, management and administration for all farm bill programs in accordance with the Conservation Program Manual.
• Responsible for supervision of federal employees located in a field office and liaison between the state and district employees.
• Partners with the state conservation partnership to provide long-term commitment to the local, state and federal government conservation delivery system to help private landowners, communities and others conserve natural resources within the state.

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. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Basic Education Requirement: Degree: soil conservation or 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 as shown above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional 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 for the GS-12: To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or higher in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as providing technical guidance, assistance and training in all phases and steps of the conservation planning process for a wide geographic region. Examples of this experience include: Providing technical expertise in conservation planning and application, quality assurance, contracting, performance reporting, and implementation of associated technology tools. Identifying solutions and resolving matters involving conservation plans. 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

There is no education substitution at the GS-12 grade level. College Transcript: If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. 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 to ensure proper evaluation. Your education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited toward qualifications. You may verify accreditation by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs website. We will verify your education accordingly. Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. You must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. Your transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcript at the initial phase of the application process. However, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the "How to Apply" section for instructions on submitting transcripts. How You Will Be Evaluated

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet minimum qualification requirements as described in the qualifications section of the job announcement. Additionally, the application involves a Technical Assessment. It is the applicant's responsibility to monitor their email for additional information about assessments and any deadlines that may need to be met. Structured Interview - Competency Responses: A panel of subject matter experts will review your responses during a Structured Interview. These responses to questions/scenarios will be evaluated to provide your rating in the application process. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics): Conservation Planning Conservation Programs Customer Service Partnering Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates based on the technical assessment will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred. Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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 up to including removal from the Federal service. Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13078645 This announcement will also include the following assessment: Structured Interview, Resume Review by Subject Matter Expects, Writing Sample, Essay Response, Letter of Recommendation. When we complete our selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional Federal agencies. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared with additional Federal agencies to be considered for employment. There is no guarantee of further consideration. Other Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. 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. Physical Demands: The incumbent must walk extensively through rough terrain, over ditches, and climb steep banks. Some physical exertion is required. Work Environment:The incumbent works under conditions that involve moderate discomforts due to adverse weather. Works near farm and earth moving machinery and may be exposed to toxic chemicals, poisonous insects and irritating plants. Telework: This position is eligible for telework as determined by the agency policy. Incentives: Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized. Bargaining Unit: This is a non-bargaining unit position.