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Natural Resource Specialist (Agroforestry)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This employee specializes in Agroforestry and is on the staff of the USDA National Agroforestry Center within Research & Development in the Forest Service's national headquarters. One position will be filled among the locations listed.

Serves as a science program specialist providing scientific and technical leadership and guidance on agroforestry research and related technology transfer/science delivery activities

For information about this position, contact Anne Marsh at anne.marsh@usda.gov

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/22/2023 to 03/14/2023
Salary
$82,830 to - $98,496 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Hilo, HI
Moscow, ID
Saint Paul
Columbia, MO
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional overnight travel expected 3-5 times per year to visit Forest Service offices, field locations, or to attend professional meetings.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-RES-11850437-DHA-APL
Control number
707836900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

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Duties

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  • Formulates plans, policies and objectives and coordinates or develops annual and long-term programs.
  • Acts as specialist in ecosystem sciences; carbon accounting or management; quantifying ecosystem benefits related to natural resource management; sustainability science, inventory and monitoring, and natural resource decision support.
  • Promotes studies and the development of data that will help identify high potential program delivery areas and better focus program investments and ensures the latest and best science is considered in these investments
  • Conducts analysis and applies findings from comprehensive reviews of scientific and technical literature.
  • Based upon the technical review, recommends attendant changes to existing rules or guidelines.
  • Oversees study projects to develop guidelines, standards and procedures for analyzing public needs, demands, and resource capabilities

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • 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.

Qualifications

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.

SCREEN OUT (Selective Placement Factor). Selectee for this position will be a senior subject matter expert and technical advisor providing scientific and professional guidance, leadership, coordination, and direction in the field of agroforestry. To qualify, you must have graduate level education or experience in the field of agroforestry or agroecosystems. Graduate level education (master's level or higher) or experience must be in agroforestry or a related field (i.e., natural resources, ecology, environmental/climate science, earth systems, agronomy, horticulture, forestry). To qualify, you must clearly describe this experience or graduate level education in your application or attachments and how this education or experience applies to agroforestry systems. Such experience or education may include research experience in agriculture, forestry, and or agroforestry, with a publication record; or experience developing evidenced based guidance related to agroforestry and/or agroecology.

Basic Requirement for Natural Resources Management Series (0401):
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
--OR--
Combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Your resume must reflect the experience used to meet this requirement.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:
For GS-12:
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-11 grade level in federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as three or more of the following:
--Demonstrating expertise and advice on program delivery and activities related to agriculture, natural resources management, land management, forest management, range management, ecosystem management, sustainability and climate, environmental justice, or inventory and monitoring.
--Providing project management support and coordination for biological science related studies, identifying opportunities to improve program area.
--Working with partners to accomplish program goals and objectives.
--Conducting long/short term studies and investigations in the field of agriculture, forestry and/or agroforestry.
--Coordinating surveys and analyzing biological data associated with environmental studies.
For GS-13:
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-12 grade level in federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as three or more of the following:
--Providing technical and administrative leadership, guidance, and direction to a program to enhance the effectiveness, delivery, and scope of program activities within an area related to agriculture, natural resources management, land management, forest management, range management, ecosystem management, sustainability and climate, environmental justice, or inventory and monitoring.
--Analyzing and recommending program policies, objectives, guidelines, or plans.
--Reviewing long/short-range plans to ensure consistency with program strategies and priorities.
--Establishing public and private sector partnerships.
--Conducting long/short term studies and investigations in the field of agriculture, forestry and or agroforestry..

Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

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.

Education

Education alone is not qualifying for the grade levels advertised. To qualify you must possess the specialized experience described above.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.

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.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

This position is not eligible for telework.

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 at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, 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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11850437

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