Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Social Scientist/Biological Scientist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Three positions being filled in Region 1. Forest Service Office's within R1 can be found here.

Incumbent serves as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/Appeals & Litigation coordinator. Plans, directs, and advises personnel on compliance efforts regarding (NEPA), regulations of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), the Forest Plan, and Forest Service Policy.

Please see Education section below for location specific contacts.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/10/2023 to 10/13/2023
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$82,830 to - $104,919 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Locations
3 vacancies in the following locations:
Avery, ID
Bonners Ferry, ID
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Elk City, ID
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel for training, meetings, or site visits may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
24-R1GV-12151907-DP-DC
Control number
753309000

Videos

Duties

Help
  • Coordinate final evaluation and review of environmental analysis documents to ensure compliance with multiple environmental policy requirements.
  • Interpret changes, decisions and directions regarding environmental policies that would affect the organization.
  • Mediate conflicting viewpoints of interdisciplinary team members on preparation and processing of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments and environmental impact statements.
  • Liaison with the public, federal, state, local government officials, special interest groups, tribal representatives, and agency stakeholders to provide interpretation of National Environmental Policy Act and environmental act and policy requirements
  • Provide advice to management on the administrative appeals/objections process.
  • Ensure accuracy and completeness of the administrative record for each lawsuit.
  • Develop legal documents including litigation reports, compliance agreements, mitigation plans, environmental analyses and/or environmental impact statements.
  • Provide technical and administrative supervision to subordinate employees.

Requirements

Help

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.
  • New supervisor training must be completed within your first year.

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.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series listed below.


Basic Requirement:

For the GS-0101: Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR
Combination of education and experience -- that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

OR
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

For the GS-0401: Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-12: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following:

  • Planned, directed, and advised personnel on compliance efforts regarding National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), regulations of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and organizational policy;
  • Mediated conflicting viewpoints of Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) members on preparation and processing of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments and environmental impact statements;
  • Executed and coordinated final evaluation and review of environmental analysis documents for natural resource related projects and/or programs to ensure compliance with multiple environmental policy requirements; and/or
  • Communicated with Federal, state and local government officials, special interest groups, general public and stakeholders to provide interpretation of requirements and applicability of NEPA, CEQ, FOIA, objections, appeals, and litigation.
Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary, or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

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

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience.

Contact Information
-Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Supervisors Office, Duty location(s):
Bonners Ferry, Coeur d'Alene, Nordman, Smelterville, or St. Maries, ID. Supervisor: Michelle Caviness, michelle.caviness@usda.gov

-Region 1, Regional Office, Duty Location(s): Within R1 Geographic Area. Supervisor: Chandra Neils, chandra.neils@usda.gov

Additional information

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.

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.

This announcement may be used to fill future positions within Region 1. Please select all duty locations for which you wish to be considered.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government Housing may be available.

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

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is limited to the first 50 applications received and will close at 11:59 pm ET on the closing date identified above or the day we receive the 50th application, whichever occurs first.

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 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/12151907

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.