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Planning and Environmental Specialist

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

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

The position is located in Safford, AZ. Information about these locations and the surrounding area can be found at City of Safford.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/14/2022 to 12/30/2022
Salary
$44,740 to - $86,074 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Location
Safford, AZ
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
AZDE-22-11752765-GEC
Control number
694515500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Utilize a full range of land use planning practices related to recreation, wildlife, wilderness, fire management, forestry, range, minerals, and cultural resources activities to evaluate and interpret field office needs.
  • Provide leadership/interpretation, guidance, quality control, administrative record management, and implementation to develop planning efforts such as Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and amended Environmental Impact Statements.
  • Coordinate the development and accomplishment of implementation strategies for planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with other federal, state, and local agencies and public interest groups.
  • Review environmental assessment documents prepared in the District/Field Office to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
  • Collaborate with the District/Field Office project leads and managers to ensure adequate public participation in the planning.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from for training. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.

Qualifications

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.

To qualify for this position you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

For GS-7: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is further defined as experience in planning and environmental specialist work related to Natural Resources Programs. At this level, work assignments are diverse, limited in complexity & selected to provide experience & training. Examples include experience in general resource management planning & environmental analysis processes, principles, and practices; work with public land resource values, issues, or controversies; and assisting in developing public land-related planning strategies and procedures. -
OR-
EDUCATION: Superior academic achievement is based on one of the following: (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society member or successful completion of one (1) full year of graduate level education (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

For GS-9: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is further defined as experience in planning and environmental specialist work related to Natural Resources Programs. At this level, recurring assignments that are independently performed are more difficult & complex than those performed at the lower grade level. Examples include experience in general resource management planning & environmental analysis processes, principles, and practices; work with public land resource values, issues, or controversies; and assisting in developing public land-related planning strategies and procedures.
-OR-
EDUCATION: 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., in a field directly related to this position. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

For GS-11: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is further defined as experience with land use and multiple use resource management planning; being a lead or member of an interdisciplinary team working on planning and environmental analysis processes, principles and practices; reviewing planning and NEPA documents to ensure they read smoothly and correctly; reviewing environmental documents to insure compliance with applicable laws and regulations; work with public land resource values, issues, or controversies; and assisting in developing public land-related planning strategies and procedures.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D.; or Ph.D.; or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related this position. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

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.

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.

Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.

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.

ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.

Education

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.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number AZMP-22-11751477-GEC, which is open to all qualified persons. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

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

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary and does not require unusual physical activity or demands. On occasion may require walking over rough, uneven or rocky terrain during periods of extreme temperatures. May be required to drive two or four wheeled drive government vehicles over tarred, gravel or dirt roads.

Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday risks and discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of office, meeting and training room, and outdoor desert settings.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document, you do not have in electronic form; view the following link for information regarding an Alternative Application

How you will be evaluated

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

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.

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 https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11752765, 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 an online assessment. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Oral Communication
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Public Planning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Writing


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.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.


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