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Natural Resource Specialist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. This position is located at a State, Private and Tribal Forestry Field Office. The incumbent serves as a Natural Resource Specialist performing duties related to the Grant Monitoring and other duties related to field implementation of State, Private and Tribal Forestry Programs. See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section for contact and location information and additional program areas that may be filled with this announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/17/2023 to 10/23/2023
Salary
$57,118 to - $69,107 per year

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
4 vacancies in the following locations:
Amherst, MA
Lansing, MI
Grand Rapids, MN
Saint Paul, MN
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 to attend meetings and or site visits.
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
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
24-R9P1GV-FS4100-11DH-MR
Control number
754338200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

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Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance GS-11 level.
  • Maintain relationships with employees of federal and state governments, local officials, Tribes, and private organizations or landowners who are affected by, or have a shared interest in natural resource land management practices and problems.
  • Promote multiple-use management with internal and external cooperators while meeting agency goals and objectives.
  • Manage a cooperative forestry or natural resource management program that achieves multiple goals including those of state forest action plans, public land and resource management plans or other federal, state, and local strategic plans.
  • Manage the administration of grants and cost-share agreements consistent with applicable regulations and policies.
  • Coordinate programs or projects aimed at improving environmental conditions in urban or rural settings.
  • Interpret complex data to ensure proper land and resource consideration.

Requirements

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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.

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.

Basic Requirement - GS-0401:
Degree: 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-09: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Assisted senior technical staff in the delivery of a cooperative forestry or natural resource management program that achieved multiple natural resource goals including those of state forest action plans, public land and resource management plans and other federal, state, and local strategic plans; Assisted senior technical staff in the administration of grants consistent with applicable direction and policies; Assisted senior technical staff with urban forestry or tree-related projects or programs; Worked to improve environmental conditions such as access to green spaces or natural resources in urban or rural settings.
OR: A 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., (coursework directly related to position being filled);
OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

For the GS-11: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes one or more of the following: Served as a technical specialist in a cooperative forestry or natural resource management program that achieved multiple natural resource goals including those of state forest action plans, public land and resource management plans and other federal, state, and local strategic plans; Assisted in the administration of grants consistent with applicable direction and policies or managed multiple Federal or State grants as a recipient; Coordinated urban forestry or tree-related projects or programs; Coordinated projects aimed at improving environmental conditions such as access to green spaces or natural resources in urban or rural settings.

OR: Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (coursework directly related to position being filled); OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate 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.

Education

See education requirement above.

Additional information

CONTACT INFORMATION:
For additional information about the duties of the positions contact Gina Jorgensen at gina.m.jorgensen@usda.gov.

LOCATION INFORMATION:

Positions to be located at Amherst, MA; Lansing, MI; Grand Rapids, MN; Saint Paul, MN; Columbia, MO; Durham, NH; Fort Totten, NY; or, Syracuse, NY. The final determination will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer.

Positions within many program areas will be filled, they include: Urban and Community Forestry and Grant Monitoring Specialist.

Hiring Manager reserves the right to make selections outside of this vacancy announcement.

This is to notify the public that the USDA, Forest Service is using a Direct Hire Authority to fill this position. For Information on the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policydata-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/ .

Veterans' preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does NOT apply to this recruitment.

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.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.

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 not guaranteed.

This is NOT a bargaining unit position.

Forest Service daycare facilities/Government housing are not available.

This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.


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/

How you will be evaluated

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

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, 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/12128599

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