KEY REQUIREMENTS



• U.S. Citizen or National (American Samoa or Swains Island)
• Suitable for Federal Employment, determined by Background Investigation.
• NRCS Utilizes E-Verify to identify and determine employment eligibility.
• Positive Education required.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• A Valid Motor Vehicle Operators License is required.

• Provides team leadership to assigned portions of the MLRA Soil Survey Area to assist the MLRA Survey Leader in coordinating all survey activities to ensure that the objectives and goals of the entire MLRA Soil Survey are met.
• Assists the MLRA Soil Survey Leader in managing and prioritizing activities, in determining workloads by conducting workload analysis, developing and implementing work plans, and other management tools.
• Provides technical direction and training to soil scientists to assist the MLRA Soil Survey Leader to ensure that quality and quantity of work performed by soil survey team members meets national Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) standards, policies, and procedures.
• Identifies and acquires the appropriate spatial data layers necessary to create and maintain a soils map digitally. Uses geospatial technologies to manipulate digital and analog geospatial data such as soil survey and soil investigations, climate, vegetation, geology, land use, topography in order to examine, tentatively identify and delineate areas of different kinds of soils.  Coordinates this information with the PIA GIS specialist.
• Uses soil-landscape relationships to systematically map and describe the way soils occur in the landscape.  Assists the MLRA Soil Survey Leader to develop soil landscape predictive models.
• Studies the characteristics of soils, geology, topography, and landforms over a large geographic region in order to ensure consistency of map units throughout.  Assists MLRA Soil Survey Leader in evaluating map units of survey area in order to plan the most feasible method of updating map units to current standards.
• Examines existing soils geospatial information using geospatial technologies to identify areas where soil types and landscapes are not correctly associated. 
• Systematically conducts field investigations to identify or verify soil types. Excavates soils at sample locations in order to describe, test, and classify them.
• Records soil data on digital or hard copy aerial photographs.  Statistically analyzes data, correlates new map units, correlated on an MLRA (geographic) basis.
• Works with plant scientists anda the MLRA leader to document soil-plant relationships and to collect productin estimates for crops, trees, and grasses and develop other information for ecological site descriptions.
• Writes technical and nontechnical materials dealing with soils and the soil survey.

Basic Educational Requirements:

A. Degree: soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Experience cannot be substituted for the basic educational requirements.

COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS: This position has a positive education requirement.  You MUST submit a legible copy of your college transcripts to be considered.  Unofficial copies are acceptable if they clearly show the name of the student, coursework completed, degree and date conferred (if applicable).  Upon selection, official transcripts will be required.  Failure to do so will result in non-consideration for the vacancy.  If the titles of the course work you believe is relevant towards meeting the minimum educational requirements do not obviously reflect the nature of the class work please submit course descriptions from your college catalogue, or college professors.  

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-11:

Applicants must meet time in grade requirements at the GS-09 level and have one year of specialized experience related to the duties of the position or have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.d. or equivalent doctoral degree. Examples of specialized experience includes experience in soil mapping, soil classification, soil interpretations and soil survey technical services; working with databases and Geographic Information Systems (GIS); working with a variety of public and private sector agencies and businesses to analyze complex natural resource factors; and conducting workload analysis, developing and implementing soil survey project work plans, annual and long term plans of operation.

 Additional Information:

• Travel 1-5 nights per month may be required. 
• Status Applicants must meet 12 months/52 weeks of service equivalent to the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the position to be filled.
• You may need to work outdoors, often under adverse weather conditions and with exposure to wildlife. 

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Once the application process is complete and the job announcement closes, your application will be evaluated based on your responses to the on-line questions, specialized experience documented in your on-line resume, and college transcripts. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.  If materials are not received, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible.  All the information you provide may be verified by a review of your application, by checking references and through other means, such as the interview process.  Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for not hiring you, or for removal after employment begins.

Your assessment questionnaire will be scored based on your responses.  Your complete application will also be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills and abilities: 

• Knowledge of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Program guidelines and procedures
• Ability to use commonly used soil survey/NCSS tools to collect, analyze and disseminate information
• Knowledge of tropical & volcanic soil properties and tropical island landscape features and processes
• Skill in verbal and written communication to technical and non-technical groups and individuals

To preview questions, please view the questionnaire: View Assessment Questions

Working for NRCS offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Additionally NRCS offers FlexiWork, Telework, Transportation Subsidies and a family friendly work environment. To find out more click here: http://www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp.

OTHER INFORMATION:

In addition to salary, employees on the island of Hawaii currently receive a 6.24% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).  COLA is not subject to federal income tax and is not included as salary for retirement calculation purposes.

Reference Checks may be conducted prior to any interviews being conducted. By applying for this announcement you are giving consent for these reference checks. Checks may include current supervisor, prior supervisor or others in line of sight within previously held positions.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume
2. A completed Occupational Questionnaire

3. Copy of your college education transcript(s)
4. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section below)

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, February 17, 2012.

Please note: You are allowed 10 pages for your resume.  Any resume pages in excess of the 10 pages will not be included in your application package.  Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number and at least the last four digits of your social security number.  Unsolicited materials, such as copies of position descriptions and publications will not be considered in the review process.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.  Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. 

Note: To return to a previously saved or Incomplete application you may use the following link:  https://applicationmanager.gov/.

If you upload your documents using Application Manager, DO NOT FAX the same documents.  To verify uploaded documents have been processed, please wait one hour to ensure they have cleared the virus scan.  You can verify that your uploaded documents are attached to your application by checking the Details tab of your Application Manager account (https://applicationmanager.gov/) for this vacancy announcement.  Your documents will display under the Details tab in the Document area.

To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID 586613.  Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

If you cannot apply online:

1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire,
2. Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf, and
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process.  To fax documents, you MUST use the special cover page.  Print the pre-populated cover page on the upload documents screen of Application Manager.  Or, you may click this link http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf to print a copy of the cover page.  When faxing documents, follow the procedures outlined below.  Include the 6-character Vacancy Identification Number 586613. Provide your Social Security Number and full name in the spaces provided or we will not be able to associate your document(s) with the rest of your application.  You may submit multiple documents for the same vacancy announcement using one cover page. 

Faxed documents submitted with missing information will not be processed.  The following will prevent your documents from being processed:

• Not using the special cover page mentioned above
• Missing, incomplete or invalid Vacancy Identification Number
• Missing or incomplete Social Security Number or name

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents are required:

• Resume (maximum of 10 pages)
• Responses to the questionnaire
• Transcripts to support Education requirements, unofficial copies are acceptable (See the Qualifications section for details) 
• SF-50, if applicable 
• Veterans Preference documentation (DD-214, SF-15, Other Veterans Documents)
• Other (Performance Appraisal-dated within the last 15 months, OF 306, other applicable documents)

AND, if applicable:

1. ICTAP/CTAP documentation for displaced Federal employees (See "Other Information")

2. Documentation supporting eligibility for veterans' preference (See "Other Information")

3. Documentation supporting Special Hiring Authority eligibility for a non-competitive appointment (e.g. VEOA, severely disabled, returned Peace Corps or VISTA volunteers, military spouses, former overseas employees, etc. (See "Other Information").  You must clearly state on your resume or cover letter the non-competitive appointing authority you are applying under.   

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once your Occupational Questionnaire and resume have been received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All information provided may be verified by a careful review of your resume, questionnaire responses, reference check, background check, and/or verification of education. After a qualification review of your complete application package, you will be notified of the status of your application. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for consideration. A job offer is typically made within 45 days after the deadline for applications. You can track the progress of your application package in Application Manager at https://ApplicationManager.gov/.