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Natural Resources Specialist (Plants)

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.

This position is located in Moab, Utah. Information about Moab and the surrounding area can be found here.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/15/2023 to 06/29/2023
Salary
$46,696 to - $89,835 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Location
Moab, UT
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
UTDE-23-12003235-CH
Control number
732059600

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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  • Ensures compliance with policy and law for the special status species (SSS) and natural plant community programs and uniform application of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
  • Proficiently utilizes plant identification keys for proper plant species classification.
  • Provides plant ecology input for various plans and projects as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
  • Participates in developing vegetation plans for restoration projects and collection of data for the GIS program.
  • Conducts literature and herbarium searches, field inventories, and monitoring of plant communities.
  • Conducts research regarding the ecological relationships between plants and their environment.
  • Creates and preserves documentation of sensitive plants found in the Field or District.
  • Coordinates and/or conducts surveys for sensitive plant species for proposed projects. Provides monitoring during project implementation if necessary.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
  • 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.
  • An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • May require a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:


1) An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.

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.

In addition to the education requirement and selective placement factor, to qualify at the GS-07 level you must meet the following:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 level that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Natural Resources Specialist (Plants). Examples of specialized experience include participating in the planning and execution of plant studies such as performing established tests and analyses on a broad range of plant samples; mapping and documenting botany species; and preparing or reviewing reports on ecological investigations to determine project impacts on vegetation including threatened and endangered plant species.

OR Education: To qualify based on education you must have 18 semester hours of graduate level education leading to a master`s degree or equivalent in a directly related field of study.

OR Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A). Superior Academic Achievement (See OPMS 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.

OR Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements if it has provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

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 meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: Work may be performed in the office or performing work in isolated/remote locations. The fieldwork may be arduous, and the incumbent may be required to walk long distances over rough terrain in varying temperatures. The field location areas within the field office boundary. The incumbent may also be required to operate four-wheel drive vehicles and UTVs over primitive roads in isolated areas.

Work Environment: The position can consist up to 50 percent field work and 50 percent office work. The incumbent must remain flexible and be able to adjust work schedule to accommodate new or conflicting job requirements. Field work involves exposure to moderate risks and discomforts, such as those due to irregular hours in a wide variety of remote and rugged terrains where climatic conditions are variable and extreme. On occasion the incumbent may be required to stay overnight in the field. Office work is performed in an office setting that normally involves everyday risks or discomforts.

The incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer. Field conditions generally range from mild to very warm temperatures (90 to 100 degrees during the summer), with snow in the winter. Normal field hazards include dealing with venomous snakes, a variety of cacti, and stinging insects.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement which requires that you have:

  1. Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
  1. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

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.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If 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 or Student Loan Repayment.

How you will be evaluated

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

After the vacancy closes, a review of your application package will be made to ensure you meet all qualification 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.

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

  • Botany
  • Oral Communication
  • Reasoning
  • Technical Competence
  • Writing


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 the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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