This position is located on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Soil Health (SH) Division Staff in the Science and Technology Deputy Area.
This position will work with members of the Soil Health Division and NRCS technical experts to provide national SH guidance and technical support to the states' SH points of contact. Primary duties include developing and delivering training and providing SH science and technology technical support to external and internal stakeholders.
Summary
This position is located on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Soil Health (SH) Division Staff in the Science and Technology Deputy Area.
This position will work with members of the Soil Health Division and NRCS technical experts to provide national SH guidance and technical support to the states' SH points of contact. Primary duties include developing and delivering training and providing SH science and technology technical support to external and internal stakeholders.
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$79,363 to - $150,703 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes - Remote duty location limited to within any of the following states of within daily commuting range of at least one of the following states: Maine, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island.
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
75% or less - 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.
You may apply if you are a current FPAC employee with career/career conditional tenure in the Competitive Service (You must submit an SF-50 that reflects current employment with FPAC and career/career-conditional tenure (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).) Also open to Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) eligibles. FSA permanent county employees may apply.
Serve as a regional support leader for Soil Health activities associated with agricultural land uses and works closely with other members of National Headquarters (NHQ), National Technology Support Centers, State Offices, other USDA agencies, etc.
Works on a regional basis with other partners, producer groups, and others with similar interests.
Works closely with NRCS State Conservationists and their state leadership teams in carrying out State Soil Health strategies and ensure that training is provided as needed.
Works closely with all NRCS entities to incorporate and prioritize Soil Health in all Farm Bill programs.
Promotes and educates NRCS personnel, partners, producers, agriculture industry sectors, and the general public on the benefits of Soil Health by giving expert-level presentations at meetings, symposia, field days, etc.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
Direct Deposit--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 at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the 01/19/2023 of the announcement.
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Please note that this job opportunity announcement is only open to current Career/Career-Conditional employees of the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) and FSA permanent county employees. If you do not possess this status, you will not receive consideration.
TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted).
Basic Requirement for the 0454 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows:
Range Management -- At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning.
Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences -- At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable.
Related Resource Management Studies -- At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management.
(You must submit transcripts.);
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: At least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.(You must submit transcripts.)
Basic Requirement for the 0457 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. (You must submit transcripts.);
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: At least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (You must submit transcripts.)
Basic Requirement for the 0470 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility. (You must submit transcripts.);
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (You must submit transcripts.)
Basic Requirement for the 0471 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management. (You must submit transcripts.);
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education (You must submit transcripts.)
In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered:
To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, you must meet the following:
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
Entering soil health data into an electronic management systems;
Providing training on Soil Health management systems; AND
Attending meetings on soil health management systems.
Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level.
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must meet the following:
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
Providing advice on guidance on soil health management systems;
Providing training on various conservation topics, to include soil health, current technology used in the field, laws and policies used in Soil Health conservation;
Giving presentations to internal and external stakeholders on various soil health/conservation topics; AND
Advising landowners and land lessees on the principles of soil health management and the laws, regulations, and policies governing conservation resources.
Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-13 level.
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).
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 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 submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration.
Foreign 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. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
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 neither implied nor guaranteed.
Physical Demands: Approximately one-half of the work is sedentary with occasional walking or bending. The other half consists of field assignments or training that requires considerable walking,
climbing, digging or other physical exertion. Climate conditions will vary between excess
heat and cold. There will be wet, muddy, or other weather-related conditions the incumbent
will encounter.
Work Environment: The work environment is variable. In the office the work is primarily performed in a normal office setting. However, field assignments may involve exposure to extreme weather
conditions.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following:
If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted.
If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline.
Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized; Management may authorize superior qualifications & enhanced annual leave for applicants who are deemed to be highly qualified.
Relocation expenses may be authorized as allowable by Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and USDA policy.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:
Oral Communication
Teaching Others
Teamwork
Technical Competence
Writing
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume
2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire
3. A SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility with the FPAC. The SF 50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, type of service (Competitive or Excepted) and career status (career or career-conditional) and that you are a current FPAC employee. No award SF 50 will be accepted as proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility.
4. Other supporting documents:
- Any certifications as required under the Qualifications section
- Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
5. Current FPAC employees:
Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade. Please note it might be necessary to submit more than one SF-50 to confirm your eligibility to apply under Merit Promotion procedures. AND
Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salaries above are an approximation. Recruitment incentive may be authorized.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (EST) on the 01/19/2023.
* To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire, which can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11754460
* Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
* It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
* To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. *Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
* To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
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 Alternate Application.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume
2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire
3. A SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility with the FPAC. The SF 50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, type of service (Competitive or Excepted) and career status (career or career-conditional) and that you are a current FPAC employee. No award SF 50 will be accepted as proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility.
4. Other supporting documents:
- Any certifications as required under the Qualifications section
- Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
5. Current FPAC employees:
Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade. Please note it might be necessary to submit more than one SF-50 to confirm your eligibility to apply under Merit Promotion procedures. AND
Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salaries above are an approximation. Recruitment incentive may be authorized.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (EST) on the 01/19/2023.
* To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire, which can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11754460
* Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
* It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
* To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. *Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
* To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
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 Alternate Application.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g. SF-50s or veteran docs) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
