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Social Scientist/Biological Scientist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Multiple positions located in the Northern Region, Region 1.

The position is responsible for performing work involved in Natural Resources Planning and Environmental law compliance, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Management Act (NFMA).

For additional information about the duties of this position and individual contact information, please see EDUCATION section below.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/24/2023 to 12/08/2023
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$57,118 to - $89,835 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
5 vacancies in the following locations:
Bonners Ferry, ID
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Nordman, ID
Saint Maries, 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
11
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-12214907-G-DC
Control number
762251500

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Duties

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  • Duties are listed at the full performance level.
  • Ensure National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents are in conformance with applicable law, regulation, and policy.
  • Analyze environmental data to measure and evaluate the effects of management proposals on natural, social, or economic resources.
  • Develop plans for specific area or accountability (i.e., water, soils, habitat management, etc.)
  • Conduct environmental studies and evaluations concerning a variety of resources, such as social economic, land, air, water, timber, recreation, wildlife, fisheries, and/or additional special areas.
  • Coordinate with natural resource specialists to obtain, compile and analyze information used in formulating specific components of program and project plans.
  • Develop, monitor, and maintain planning documents and action plan for all aspects of the program of work.
  • Instruct project staff on the plan standards and guidelines related to the unit natural resource management proposal.
  • Write environmental analyses, assessments, and environmental impact statements.
  • Assist others in the development and processing of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents.
  • Performs supervisory duties less than 20% of the time.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered 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.gov
  • 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:

GS-0101: Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0100/social-science-series-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.

GS-0401: Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement as defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-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-
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major.

-OR-
Combination of education and experience that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, AND experience sufficient to demonstrate that I possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field needed to perform the work of the occupation.

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-9 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as performing two or more of the following:

  • Assisted with carrying out routine environmental studies and evaluations to advise management of the consequences of planning actions or special use events, i.e., Forest planning projects, on the environment;
  • Participated in environmental assessments and drafting segments of environmental impact statements;
  • Assisted in the special use permit review process by performing field inspections and collecting and analyzing environmental data;
  • Assisted in planning one or more conventional environmental resources projects, such as construction, production, or reclamation initiatives and ensure compliance with environmental plans and stipulations.
-OR-
Completion of 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-
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 level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as performing ALL of the following:
  • Served as a project planner for one or more conventional environmental resources projects, such as forest management, construction, or reclamation activities and ensure compliance with environmental plans and stipulations;
  • Participated in natural resource management activities by making observations, gathering data, and reporting findings where information was used in environmental assessments and environmental impact statements;
  • Participated in the permit review process or identification of regulatory compliance issues and requirements by performing field inspections, collecting and analyzing environmental data.
-OR-
Applicants must have 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.) Professional engineering experience is defined as non-routine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

CONTACT INFORMATION

-Flathead National Forest, Tally Lake Ranger District: Supervisor, Michele Draggoo, michele.draggoo@usda.gov. Duty Location: Kalispell, MT

-Flathead National Forest, Swan Lake Ranger District: Supervisor, Michele Draggoo, michele.draggoo@usda.gov. Duty Location: Bigfork, MT

-Flathead National Forest, Hungry Horse Ranger District: Supervisor, Michele Draggoo, michele.draggoo@usda.gov. Duty Location: Hungry Horse, MT

-Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Supervisor Office: Supervisor, Allison Landro, allison.landro@usda.gov. Duty Locations: Butte, MT; Dillon, MT; Philipsburg, MT; Ennis, MT; Wisdom, MT; Wise River, MT;


-Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Supervisors Office: Supervisor, Michelle Caviness, michelle.caviness@usda.gov. Duty locations: Coeur D'Alene, ID; St. Maries, ID; Nordman, ID; Bonners Ferry, ID;

Additional information

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 candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 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 neither implied or guaranteed.


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/

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing may be available.

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is limited to the first 100 applications received and will close at 11:59 pm ET on the closing date identified above or the day we receive the 100th application, whichever occurs first.

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

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 based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Public Planning
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Writing
  • Workforce Environment
  • Written Communication


Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. 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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12214907

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