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Land Surveyor (Recent Graduate)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Cadastral Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

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

We expect to fill many vacancies in many locations using the Recent Graduate training program. To explore the BLM, visit us at BLM.GOV. Additional positions may be filled if available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/19/2024 to 04/09/2024
Salary
$39,576 to - $74,110 per year

Lowest and highest possible salary are listed as a reference. Actual salary is dependent upon duty location and grade level selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
many vacancies in the following locations:
Atascadero, CA
El Dorado Hills, CA
Philadelphia, MS
Billings, MT
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You will be expected to work in the field to conduct surveying duties as described in the Physical Demands and Work Environment section.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Depending on the location, you may be eligible for Travel and relocation expenses to be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. See "Other" section for additional information on 2017 Tax Cuts as related to PCS.
Appointment type
Recent graduates
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ESRG-24-12352461-GC
Control number
782178200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is for Recent Graduates who have completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years. Certain veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe due to a military service obligation have up to 6 years from completing their education to apply. I/CTAP eligibles within the local commuting area.

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Duties

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  • Assist senior Land Surveyors with small scale surveys and resurvey projects including the measurement or determination of distances, elevations, areas, angles, land boundaries, and other features.
  • Plan and conduct routine surveys.
  • Prepare vehicle maintenance and operational reports and weekly progress reports.
  • Utilizes automated systems such as Microsoft Word and Computer Automated Drafting software to input and track data.
  • Assist senior staff in coordinating project debriefing and joint field inspections with representatives of the requesting office.
  • Communicates with other surveyors, team leads, and landowners that may have an interest in survey projects.
  • Draft field notes and plates describing in detail the survey performed.
  • Complete written reports describing unique problems encountered, with recommendations, for review by supervisor.
  • The GS-5 Land Surveyor is considered a trainee and will be taught to plan and conduct simple and routine surveys, draft field notes and plats, and various other tasks required for survey projects.
  • The GS-7 is considered an advanced trainee and will conduct surveys on a more independent basis while assisting a senior Land Surveyor in more complex survey projects.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required upon conversion.
  • 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 Land.
  • 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 and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • You will serve a one-year Trial Period. Prior Federal civilian service is credited toward the completion of the required trial period in the same manner as prescribed in 5 CFR 315.802.

Qualifications

These positions are for Recent Graduates who have completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years. You must submit copies of all transcripts that include graduation/degree date, hours, and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Note: Certain veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe due to a military service obligation have up to 6 years from completing their education to apply. Other applicable period includes veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe described above due to a military service obligation, shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon his/her release or discharge from active duty. However, in no event, may the individual's eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the individual completed the requirements of an academic course of study.

This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement that must be met in order to be considered. Please read the Education section (see below) to ensure you meet these requirements.

In addition to being a recent graduate and meeting the Individual Occupation Requirement, for the GS-7, you must meet the specialized experience as outlined below.

In order to assess you meet a qualified status for this position and to refer you to the hiring manager, the agency must be able to determine that you meet the qualifications based on completed education, specialized experience, and/or both - please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

To qualify for the GS-5: Applicants who meet the education requirement are consider qualified for the GS- 5 trainee level. Further experience is not required, however, desired experience may include: Assisting Land Surveyors in conducting surveys, using hand instruments such as hand levels and compasses, making simple traverse surveys using compass and tape, measuring small land areas, using rod, tape and hand level, to obtain rough estimates of yardage to be excavated; and performing recording assignments which require concentration and specialized skill such as that required in making manual computations that involve elementary arithmetic processes made complex by virtue of the number and variety of manipulations involved and the speed with which successive readings are called.

To qualify for the GS-7 you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Perform appropriate mathematical computations for traverse closures. Utilize software and automation tools to compute geographic coordinates from various survey records. Compile field survey data. Work closely with higher grade professionals and technicians to conduct routine analysis, and prepare routine legal descriptions, plats, and/or survey reports. OR 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement. OR a combination of qualifying education and experience. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

You must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: Work is either in an office setting or out-of-doors involving extensive hiking, carrying heavy loads, and cutting and clearing brush and debris with axes, brush hooks, and chain saws.

Work Environment: The work environment varies from an office setting to out-of-doors. The outdoor environment varies from flat, barren desert land or open prairie to extremely steep, rugged, and broken mountains covered with dense brush and timber. The temperatures fluctuate from extremely hot to uncomfortably cold. At times, crews are required to work in rain and snow. Individuals are exposed to poisonous plants, snakes, insects, and most animals common to the outdoors.

Education

Individual Occupation Requirement: Applicants must meet one of the criteria below to be considered.

  1. A degree in land surveying; or civil engineering with a surveying option/emphasis. The civil engineering major must have included at least 6 semester hours of surveying, 3 semester hours of land law, and 21 additional semester hours in any combination of the following: surveying, photogrammetry, geodetic surveying, geodesy, route surveying, remote sensing, cartography, survey astronomy, land information systems, computer-aided mapping, aerial photo interpretation, and survey analysis and adjustments.
or
  1. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in land surveying or civil engineering as described in paragraph A, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
or
  1. The basic requirements for this series may be fully satisfied by a current registration as a land surveyor in a State, territory, or the District of Columbia obtained by written examination. Such registration must have been obtained under conditions outlined in the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE) Unified Model Law for Registration of Surveyors. Applicants wishing to be considered under this provision must show evidence of registration based on successful completion of the written examinations. Registrations granted prior to adoption of a registration law with qualification requirements equivalent to the NCEE Model Law by the State, territory, or District of Columbia are not acceptable under this option. To be considered equivalent to the NCEE Model law, registration laws must include the four options listed within the NCEE Unified Model Law in the section specifying "General Requirements for Registration" as a Professional Land Surveyor.

Additional information

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.

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.

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

Moving Costs (PCS):
If you are eligible and moving costs are paid for the location you are selected: Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation 18-05 issued by General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals.

If not eligible nor are moving costs paid for the location you are selected: 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 when duties are in an office.

This may be a Bargaining Unit position, if applicable, depending upon your official duty station.

How you will be evaluated

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

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.

Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements for the job. Your eligibility and qualification status will be based on a human resources assessment conducted using qualification standards, your responses to the job-related questions, information provided in your resume, and required supporting documents (see the Required Documents section). Veteran's preference applies to the selection for positions in the Pathways Programs. The examination and selection of applicants will be made in accordance with requirements of the 5 CFR Part 302.

Eligible and qualified applicants who receive a score that ranges 70 to 100 will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The job related questions align with the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the duties of this position.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:
Computer Skills, Oral Communication, Surveying, and Writing

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