All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.
This position has an individual occupation requirement (IOR) that must be met to be considered. Please ensure to read the Education section to ensure you meet these requirements.
In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
In addition to the IOR, you must possess the required general and specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:
To qualify for the GS-5, you must have 3 years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4, that demonstrates the ability to analyze problems, gather pertinent data, recognize solutions, plan/organize work, and communicate effectively orally and in writing. Experience should have given you the knowledge and ability to determine correctness and proper execution of applications, claims or other forms and the familiarity with real property laws and legal land descriptions, land titles, tract maps, and legal documents. OR Completion of a 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree OR A combination of experience and education.
To qualify for the GS-7, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5. Examples of specialized experience may include: Adjudicating or examining land descriptions, 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. OR One full year of graduate level education related to the position; OR A combination of qualifying experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR Superior Academic Achievement.
Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. Applicants may qualify for the GS-7 based on Superior Academic Achievement in one of three ways: grade point average, class standing, or membership in a national scholastic honor society.
1. GPA: GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
2. Class Standing: Applicants may qualify if they have graduated and were ranked in the top third of the graduating class.
3. Honor Society Membership: Membership in a nationally recognized scholastic honor society. Click here for a list of Honor Societies.
To qualify for the GS-9, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7. Examples of specialized experience may include: Adjudication 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. Applying appropriate laws and policies. Experience making decisions concerning the application and compliance with pertinent regulations. OR A master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related OR A combination of qualifying experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify.
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.
You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Physical Demands: Work is primarily sedentary. Some walking, bending, and carrying files may be required.
Work Environment: Work is in a typical office setting.
This position has an individual occupational requirement (IOR). To be considered, applicants must meet the below requirement for each grade level you wish to be considered for.
For the GS-5 level:
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.
Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Flexibility, Information Management, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Land Law Examining, Oral Communication, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, and Technical Competence
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
Transcripts: If using education to qualify, submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.
Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit a copy of your DD-214, 'Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,' (Member 4 copy is preferred), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service (must be honorable) OR written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit documentation that supports your claim as shown on the back of the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. SF-15.
If you are claiming Sole Survivorship Veterans' Preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference.
Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/special-hiring-authorities/.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.
If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the 'Documents' step during the application process.
Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 11/29/2023. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact Jessica Baker, jbaker@blm.gov. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e. you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:
YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.
INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.
The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.