Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Natural Resources Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation
Klamath Basin Area Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Natural Resources Specialist. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Duty Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/22/2024 to 02/28/2024
Salary
$72,533 to - $94,317 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Klamath Falls, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel is required up to approximately 15% of the time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BOR-CGB-24-IMP-12327537-CB
Control number
777810600

Videos

Duties

Help

-Serves as a technical specialist responsible for planning, developing, and evaluating project proposals for land management, fish and wildlife habitat, facility improvements (new construction and maintenance), and water delivery and water management.
-Evaluates impacts to land use policies, new construction, and major maintenance projects, pest eradication and control
management programs and ensures compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
-Provides technical advice and guidance for environmental activities and issues. Coordinates with other Federal agencies, state, and local groups in preparing, developing, and implementing short and long-term plans and goals specific to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental laws, regulations, and statutes.
-Prepares or reviews Categorical Exclusion Checklists, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, and other related documents.
-Ensures compliance with the NEPA, Endangered Species Act (ESA), Historic Preservation, and other applicable laws and executive orders.
-Tracks environmental commitments in NEPA, ESA, and other pertinent documents. Develops and implements restoration and enhancement projects to comply with environmental commitments such as erosion control, fish, and wildlife habitat management, fencing, and wetland and riparian area restoration and mitigation.
-Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on biological and resources management activities relevant to the operation and maintenance of facilities. Initiates requisitions for supplies and services; and manages budget activities.
-Provides advice on required permits and scheduling (e.g. Clean Water Act permits, etc.) for maintenance and construction activities and acquires permits.
-Assists in coordination and development of Watershed Restoration Programs, including those administered by the Area Office. Initiates requisitions for supplies and services; and manages budget activities.
-Conducts land and water resource evaluations and compiles monitoring data and other resource information to serve as the basis for resource management decisions.
-Establishes and maintains close working relationships with contacts within and outside Reclamation (i.e., water authorities, agency personnel, fish and wildlife professionals, tribes, and academic consultants).
-Participates in public hearings to solicit input and identify environmental concerns. Analyzes information from meetings and hearings and ensures significant issues and concerns are addressed.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
You must maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times as the position requires operation of government vehicles on government and public roads. Failure to maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times will result in removal from the position.
You will be required to obtain a successful pre-employment physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position. A physical exam may not be required if a comparable agency approved examination was performed within the last 12 months. The cost of the exam will be reimbursed by the agency.
You are Required to use safety equipment, steel-toed boots, hardhat, safety glasses, and other protective gear when conducting field work.
You must possess or obtain certification as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).
Travel is required up to approximately 15% of the time.
Field work will be approximately 15% of the work.

Who May Apply:

  • 30% or More Disabled Veterans
  • Bureau of Reclamation Employees (Competitive)
  • Bureau of Reclamation Employees (Non-Competitive)
  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
  • Department of the Interior Employees (Competitive)
  • Department of the Interior Employees (Non-Competitive)
  • Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A)
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)
  • Veterans Recruitment Authority (VRA)

Qualifications


To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position, having the following -

A: Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

B: Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the education and/or specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

To qualify at the GS-11, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-09 level in federal service having demonstrated experience preparing environmental documents to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other environmental las and regulations; preparing moderately difficult and complex studies or portions of large, complex studies concerned with the protection, preservation and enhancement of environmental resources; collecting environmental and biological data and preparing findings and recommendations; applying biological facts, principles, methods, and techniques to develop convention plans and/or studies.

OR

Education - Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR

Combination - Specialized experience as described above, but less than one year; and I have at least two years of graduate education as described above, but less than the required three years. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100% (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.). (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

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.

Time-In-Grade: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower-grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including time-in-grade restrictions and any selective placement factors if applicable, by 02/28/2024.

Education

This vacancy announcement allows substituting education for experience at the GS-11 grade level. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not-qualified for the position.

This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. Non-submission will result in being rated not-qualified for the position.

You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

Additional information

You may be required to serve an initial probationary period.

Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a Student Loan Repayment Benefit (SLRB). The decision to offer an SLRB will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: SLRB Program.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet.

Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). For additional information, please visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov

This is a bargaining unit position represented by a Union.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Conservation Biology
  • Data Interpretation
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Oral Communication
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence


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.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12327537

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 with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.