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Geographic Information System Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Pecos District, Carlsbad Field Office, with responsibility for analyzing and resolving moderately complex problems associated with coordinating the geospatial program for the office, and contributing to improving geospatial processes and procedures..

This position is concurrently open to all U.S. Citizens under Announcement Number BLM-NM-24-12156689-DE-OPM.

Salary Range:
GS-05: $37,696 - $49,009
GS-07: $46,696 - $60,703
GS-09: $57,118 - $74,250

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/03/2023 to 11/24/2023
Salary
$37,696 to - $74,250 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Carlsbad, NM
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BLM-NM-24-12156690-MP-OPM
Control number
758277700

Duties

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  • Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
  • At the full performance level, will apply a full range of geospatial analytical techniques to identify, interpret, and resolve moderately complex GIS issues and complete a variety of well-precedented projects and assignments.
  • Responsible for the acquisition and management of a wide range of spatial information required to support the management of public lands.
  • Implement analytical techniques necessary to solve various procedural and factual geospatial and GIS issues (i.e. identifying data needs for specific projects, determining compatibility with other platforms, locating missing information).
  • Work with other BLM offices, and other Federal, State, and local agencies to coordinate data capture and analysis projects.
  • Promote and implement an integrated training program to teach basic skills in the use of geospatial software, data acquisition, retrieval and analysis, in order to meet local needs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • May be required to complete background investigation and drug screening.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the Bureau of Land Management uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

To qualify for the grade GS-05, you must have one of the following:
A. General Experience: Have at least three years of general experience, one (1) year of which was comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) that demonstrates the ability to 1) Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; 2) Plan and organize work; and 3) Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
OR
B. Education: Have successfully completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree or have a bachelor's degree in any field.
OR
C. Combination: Successful completion of a combination of experience as described in A and education as described in B which, when converted to percentages, equals 100% of the total requirement. To combine education and experience, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade GS-05; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade GS-05; and then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify you for the grade level.

To qualify for the grade GS-07, you must have one of the following:
A. Specialized Experience: Have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: 1) Assisting others in resolving Geographic Information System (GIS) issues to complete projects and assignments; 2) Utilizing database design principles to identify interrelationships within GIS data; 3) Assisting with generating computer models of resource distribution and behavior on frequently measured environmental factors; 4) Communicating orally and in writing with a variety of individuals to increase understanding of GIS programs, policies, and objectives.
OR
B. Education: Have completed one full academic year of graduate level education in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of the position. One year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
OR
C. Combination: Successful completion of an equivalent combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate level education as described in B which, when converted to percentages, equals 100% of the total requirement. Note: This will be calculated using your resume and official or unofficial transcripts submitted with your application.
OR
D. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Have completed a bachelor's degree and meet eligibility under SAA Provision gained in a field/curriculum that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of the position. SAA is based on (1) Class standing-applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses; or (2) Grade-Point Average-applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (3) Election to membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society - membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.

To qualify for the grade GS-09, you must have one of the following:
A. Specialized Experience: Have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: 1) Digitizing geographic information by translating raw land-based data into code; 2) Compiling geographic data from a variety of sources; 3) Scheduling geospatial hardware and software processing needs and implementing required upgrades; 4) Providing input into contract specifications and scopes of work.
OR
B. Education: Have successfully completed a Master's degree or two (2) full years of graduate level study leading to a Master's degree or LL.B., J.D., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement.
OR
C. Combination: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience (as in A above) and graduate level education (as in B above) that, when prorated, combine to meet the qualification requirements for this position. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert them to semester hours by multiplying by 2/3rds. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 18 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then take the number of months experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Only education beyond the second year is creditable to meet this standard.

NOTE: You must include a copy of transcripts with your application to support any claimed education.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible.

GS-05: Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-05 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest nontemporary competitive appointment.

One year at the GS-05 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 level.

One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level.

(Must submit your SF-50s that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Education

Volunteer Experience: 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 include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

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.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Additional information

  • Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, requiring long periods of sitting in one position, intense concentration, and working for several hours at a time. Stress may be experienced on a regular basis in attempting to respond to conflicting objectives and in working against tight deadlines with limited resources.

Working Conditions: The work is primarily in an office/computer room environment. Occasional fieldwork may be required. Fieldwork is in support of resource mapping projects and involves extended days of travel, sometimes in poor weather conditions. The incumbent must be comfortable with less-than-ideal conditions in remote settings in the accomplishment of mapping projects.

The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact San Antonio Services Branch at SASBMailbox@opm.gov or 816-541-8101.

How you will be evaluated

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

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.

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 successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter expert resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Database Administration
  • Information Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Technical Competence


Performance Appraisals: In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Recruitment incentive awards: Applicants that have received recruitment incentive awards during the last two years, must list them on their resume.

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