This serves to amend the closing date to read: 03/27/23
These positions are located in BLM Oregon State Office, and will be filled in the Medford/Vale, OR Districts; the Spokane, WA District; and the Tillamook Field Office. The primary purpose of this position is to serves as a Botany Program Lead; responsible for managing botany and integrated weed management (IWM) programs.
This position is concurrently open to Merit Promotion eligibles under Announcement Number OR-23-MP-11814087-KF
Summary
This serves to amend the closing date to read: 03/27/23
These positions are located in BLM Oregon State Office, and will be filled in the Medford/Vale, OR Districts; the Spokane, WA District; and the Tillamook Field Office. The primary purpose of this position is to serves as a Botany Program Lead; responsible for managing botany and integrated weed management (IWM) programs.
This position is concurrently open to Merit Promotion eligibles under Announcement Number OR-23-MP-11814087-KF
Salary Ranges - Medford, Tillamook, and Vale Oregon; and Spokane, Washington: GS-11: $69,107- $89,835 per year.
The selectee for this position will serve as a key member of an Interdisciplinary Team, working closely with planners and the timber, silviculture, range, and fuels programs to implement projects with appropriate mitigations.
Major Duties include, but are not limited to:
Serving as the primary field office technical expert on matters involving the botany program, including all aspects of the special status and sensitive species program for plants (including federal and state listed, proposed, and candidate threatened or endangered species) to ensure compliance with policy and law.
Providing technical advice and guidance to managers, formulating alternatives for accomplishing Plant Conservation goals and objectives to settle resource conflicts and/or resolving sensitive management issues.
Evaluating proposed development projects, including timber sales, as they relate to the special status plant program goals and objectives, cooperating with other specialist to assess potential impacts to resources; recommending mitigation for impacts that may adversely affect program resources or public land visitors; and conducting field surveys in support of these evaluations.
Assisting with coordinating work with local groups or individuals to ensure that plant conservation/botany programs are responsive to public needs, and inform users, the general public and other BLM personnel of actions or proposals with the program.
Analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing data to provide results to District Managers in order to make informed decisions; directing/participating in creating, evaluating, and reviewing vegetation data for the Geographic Information System (GIS), programs; and developing vegetation plans for various types of restoration projects.
May be required to complete background investigation.
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.
A valid driver's license is required.
A Pesticide Application Certification will be required once appointed to this position.
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.
Basic Requirement, Botany Series, GS-0430:
A. Possess a bachelor's or higher degree in botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany. OR
B. Have a combination of education and experience -- Courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Note - Evaluation of Education: Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying, however the 24 semester hours in botany is still required if using any of a combination of these courses.
AND
Minimum Qualification Requirement, GS-11: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must have specialized experience and/or education to meet one of the minimum qualifications described below:
A. Specialized Experience: Have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Integrating plant species, ecology, and conservation knowledge into work activities to provide advice/guidance to managers; (2) Providing technical guidance to stakeholders on noxious weed control programs, herbicide use and precautions to devise solutions to issues related to noxious weed control; (3) Researching data to determine solutions that prevent adverse impacts to special status plants; and (4) Conducting habitat assessments to coordinate activity planning process activities.
OR B. Education: Have successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or LL.M., if related, in Botany, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR C. Combination of Education/Experience: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education described above. (To calculate, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify).
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).
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".
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.
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
Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
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.
If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
You will be required to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.
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.
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 of this position may be in an office or a field setting, or at a public meeting. Office work, though sedentary, requires substantial mental stress because of shifting priorities, short timeframes for preparation and submission of correspondence and other documents, complexity of work and the large volume of work requiring the incumbent's attention. Field work requires the incumbent to be capable of operating both two- and four-wheel drive vehicles and hiking for extended periods over rough terrain. Safe handling and application of pesticides is required.
Working Conditions: The work of this position is performed in a typical office environment. About 30 percent of the incumbent's time is spent in the field. Field work usually requires irregular hours in a wide variety of remote and rugged terrain where climatic conditions are variable and extreme. Much of the field time is spent in a forested environment. Contact with poison oak and a variety of stinging insects may occur. Contact may be made with pesticides and herbicides so safety procedures must be followed, and personal protective equipment worn when contact could occur.
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.
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
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.
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 panel interview and a writing sample. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.
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.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
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 and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/27/2023.
Résumé which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
5. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
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.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/27/2023. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Due to COVID-19, the Bureau of Land Management is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement in accordance with the Department's reentry procedures provided by your Servicing Human Resources Office. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days per pay period depending upon the terms of the Department of the Interior's telework policy.
BLM Oregon State Office
BLM Oregon State Office, OR-953
1220 SW Third
Portland, OR 97204
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
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 within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
No applicant inquiries will be accepted or addressed until after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/27/2023.
Résumé which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
5. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
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.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/27/2023. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Due to COVID-19, the Bureau of Land Management is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement in accordance with the Department's reentry procedures provided by your Servicing Human Resources Office. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days per pay period depending upon the terms of the Department of the Interior's telework policy.
BLM Oregon State Office
BLM Oregon State Office, OR-953
1220 SW Third
Portland, OR 97204
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
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 within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
No applicant inquiries will be accepted or addressed until after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
