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Land Law Examiner (Career Seasaonal)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Central California District
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located within the Bureau of Land Management, Bishop Field Office, Central California District. Information about the duty areas can be found at Bishop Chamber of Commerce.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/30/2023 to 11/29/2023
This job will close when we have received 25 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$37,696 to - $74,250 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 9
Location
Bishop, CA
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 - This is a career seasonal position. You will be in pay status for at least 6 months, but less than 12 months per calendar year. When work and/or funds are unavailable, you will be placed into non-pay status.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CADE-23-12138877-CM
Control number
757706300

Duties

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  • Reviews and processes the full range of lands and minerals cases for accuracy and completeness.
  • Performs a variety of case actions in the following areas: rights-of-way, withdrawals, land exchanges and acquisitions, occupancy and use grants and sales, mineral applications, leases and permits, mining claims, and related activities.
  • Applies appropriate laws and policies; prepares correspondence requesting additional information; and makes decisions concerning the application and compliance with pertinent regulations.
  • Prepares necessary leases, permits, grants, and other documents involving appropriate provisions as to royalty and other payments, limitations, and stipulations.
  • Reviews and makes determinations on applications for rights-of-way for oil and gas pipelines, transmission line, and roads, trails, and highways.
  • Adjudicates agreements for technical accuracy and legal adequacy.
  • Determines whether applicant is eligible to acquire interests; verifies acreage and land descriptions; and prepares notices of decision.
  • Analyzes reports from field office/state office realty and resource personnel and other agencies for adequacy and determines if special environmental stipulations or other requirements may be necessary.
  • Research BLM and other land records to determine land ownership, types of ownership, rights, encumbrances, withdrawals, restrictions, and other land status for case processing or public inquiries.
  • Utilizes data, systems, and applications to collect, enter, manipulate, update and maintain data according to prescribed Bureau and program standards.
  • Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, to deal with a variety of individuals and prepare various reports and written material.

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.
  • If selected for this position, you will be required to annually complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty. You will be required to provide this information annually.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • This position is included in a bargaining unit. The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), Local 2052, is the exclusive representative of all employees in this bargaining unit.
  • This is a career seasonal position. You will be in pay status for at least 6 months, but less than 12 months per calendar year. When work and/or funds are unavailable, you will be placed into non-pay status.

Qualifications

This position has an individual occupation requirement (IOR) that must be met to be considered. Please ensure to read the Education section to ensure you meet these requirements.

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 IOR, you must possess the required general and specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:

To qualify for the GS-5, you must have 3 years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-4, that demonstrates the ability to analyze problems, gather pertinent data, recognize solutions, plan/organize work, and communicate effectively orally and in writing. Experience should have given you the knowledge and ability to determine correctness and proper execution of applications, claims or other forms and the familiarity with real property laws and legal land descriptions, land titles, tract maps, and legal documents. OR Completion of a 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree OR A combination of experience and education.

To qualify for the GS-7, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5. Examples of specialized experience may include: Adjudicating or examining land descriptions, abstracting, or interpreting land records, survey plats, or tract indexes and books, provided the work demonstrated an understanding of the laws, regulations, and policies associated with land management programs. OR One full year of graduate level education related to the position; OR A combination of qualifying experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR Superior Academic Achievement.

Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's 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. Applicants may qualify for the GS-7 based on Superior Academic Achievement in one of three ways: grade point average, class standing, or membership in a national scholastic honor society.

1. GPA: GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
2. Class Standing: Applicants may qualify if they have graduated and were ranked in the top third of the graduating class.
3. Honor Society Membership: Membership in a nationally recognized scholastic honor society. Click here for a list of Honor Societies.

To qualify for the GS-9, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7. Examples of specialized experience may include: Adjudication of applications and claims for the disposal, use of, or title to public lands, issuance of leases, licenses, or permits for land or resources use, and resolving conflicts arising from use. Applying appropriate laws and policies. Experience making decisions concerning the application and compliance with pertinent regulations. 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., if related OR A combination of qualifying experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify.

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 is primarily sedentary. Some walking, bending, and carrying files may be required.

Work Environment: Work is in a typical office setting.

Education

This position has an individual occupational requirement (IOR). To be considered, applicants must meet the below requirement for each grade level you wish to be considered for.

For the GS-5 level:

  1. Undergraduate education with a major study in any field.
OR
  1. Experience that provided a familiarity with real property laws and legal land descriptions, land titles, tract maps, and legal documents, or other experience that involved explanation, application, or interpretation of laws, regulations, policies, etc. Such experience may have been gained in positions such as law clerk, claims examiner, contact representative, or other work dealing with laws, rules, regulations, procedures, etc.
For the GS-7/9 level:
  1. Graduate education (including law school) that includes 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation.
OR
  1. Experience in or directly related to examination or adjudication of cases involving laws and regulations dealing with lands and resources.
If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

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.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants. An incentive for up to 25% of employees annual rate of basic pay may be authorized for highly qualified applicants only.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job 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: Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Flexibility, Information Management, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Land Law Examining, Oral Communication, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, and Technical Competence

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