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Land Surveyor

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These position are part of the Region 4 Lands and Minerals staff and have responsibility for the land surveying aspects of the unit's land line location and land adjustment programs. Multiple positions will be filled. The final duty location will be negotiated at the time of selection. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Forrest Decker at forrest.decker@usda.gov or 801-625-5226.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Posted 09/04/19
Location
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Entitlement for payment of basic moving expenses, as required by the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) §302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR §302-1.1 and §302-2.6.
Salary
$42,053 - $62,236 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Promotion potential
11
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position for meetings, training, or site visits.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
19-R4OCR-1373-SRVY-7-9-11DP
Control number
544594600

Duties

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  • Responsibilities listed are reflected at the GS-11 level.
  • The intent of this position is to become supervisory. Please see the additional information section for more details.
  • Provides professional land surveying input for the planning and programming of land surveying priorities. Responsible for the implementation and accomplishment of the finalized program.
  • Plans and directs the execution of survey projects of a complex nature usually associated with boundary disputes or title claims cases, but also including high-order geodetic surveys, right-of-way, easement and engineering surveys.
  • Recommends solutions to land disputes involving rectangular public land surveys, patent mining claims, homestead surveys, easements, right-of-way surveys, etc.
  • Provides leadership and technical direction in planning for and arranging the programming for remoumentation of all property and property-controlling corners, and delineation by posting and marking boundaries.
  • Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative on survey projects formally contracted to private firms, prepares specifications, and/or reviews surveying contracts.

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.
  • State Land Surveyor registration for the state(s) in which the duties will be performed must be obtained and maintained within one year of selection.

Qualifications

In order 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.

Basic Requirement for the 1373 series:

Degree: land surveying; or civil engineering with a surveying option/emphasis. The civil engineering major must have included at least 6 semester hours of surveying, 3 semester hours of land law, and 21 additional semester hours in any combination of the following: surveying, photogrammetry, geodetic surveying, geodesy, route surveying, remote sensing, cartography, survey astronomy, land information systems, computer-aided mapping, aerial photo interpretation, and survey analysis and adjustments.

OR

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in land surveying or civil engineering as described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

OR

The basic requirements for this series may be fully satisfied by a current registration as a land surveyor in a State, territory, or the District of Columbia obtained by written examination. Such registration must have been obtained under conditions outlined in the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE) Unified Model Law for Registration of Surveyors. Applicants wishing to be considered under this provision must show evidence of registration based on successful completion of the written examinations. Registrations granted prior to adoption of a registration law with qualification requirements equivalent to the NCEE Model Law by the State, territory, or District of Columbia are not acceptable under this option. To be considered equivalent to the NCEE Model law, registration laws must include the four options listed within the NCEE Unified Model Law in the section specifying "General Requirements for Registration" as a Professional Land Surveyor.

In addition to the basic requirements, the following additional education and/or experience are qualifying. Transcripts must be provided for qualification based on education. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-07: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include most of the following: Check and compile field survey data; make appropriate mathematical computations for traverse closures; Under supervision of higher grade employees, conduct routine analysis, and prepare routine legal descriptions, plats, and/or survey reports; Receive training and experience in the practical application of basic land surveying principles, theories, methods, techniques and practices; Work closely with higher grade professionals and technicians to acquire the experience necessary to plan, organize, and execute field surveying projects. OR Successfully completed one full year (18 semester hours) of graduate-level education, at an accredited institution, in course work such as land surveying or civil engineering as described above. OR Have an appropriate combination of graduate-level education and experience as described above. Education must have been obtained from an accredited institution. OR Obtained Superior Academic Achievement (to determine eligibility, please visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp). The education must have been obtained at an accredited institution and must have been in a curriculum such as land surveying or civil engineering that is qualifying for a Land Surveyor position an demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

GS-9: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the federal service; 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 an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is defined as the following: Planned and conducted cadastral surveying projects of a complex nature, usually involving conflicting title data or fragmentary corner evidence; Assembled survey project data and performing the necessary mathematical computations involved in traverse closure, azimuth determination, state plane coordinate transformation, section subdivision, route alignment, and location. Prepared preliminary and final survey plats, drawings, reports, legal records, and title descriptions for review and approval by a registered land surveyor.

GS-11: Applicants must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (coursework directly related to position being filled); OR one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the federal service; OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). Specialized experience is defined as the following: Provided professional land surveying input for the planning and programming of land surveying priorities. Plans and directs the execution of survey projects of a complex nature usually associated with boundary disputes or title claims cases, but also including high-order geodetic surveys, right-of-way, easement, and engineering surveys. Recommended solutions to land disputes. Consulted with Registrar of Deeds, County Surveyors, other Registered Land Surveyors, property owners, Government officials for survey data.

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

Please refer to the qualification section above.

Additional information

The intent of this position is to become supervisory. If selected, there is the potential that you will become subject to a directed reassignment to a position in the same series with similar duties which will also supervises a small staff of employees. This reassignment may happen once you have reached the performance level of either the GS-9 or GS-11 level, have served at that grade level for at least 90 days, and are performing successfully in your current position.

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. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number 19-R4OCR-1373-SRVY-7-9-11G. Current or former Federal employees or other eligible applicants may apply to both announcements to expand all possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information.

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 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.

MULTIPLE VACANCIES: We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email asc_tos@fs.fed.us.

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications.

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or 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/10593696

Forest Service

A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation's most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies.

It's an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center
Phone
877-372-7248 X2
Email
fsjobs@fs.fed.us
Address
USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

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