Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Supervisory Natural Resource Specialist. Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.
Duty Location: Yakima, Washington
Summary
Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Supervisory Natural Resource Specialist. Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.
This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct-Hire Authority and is open to All United States Citizens and U.S. Nationals. Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
The Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP) Office in Yakima, WA is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing projects that Congress has authorized in various phases dating from 1979 through 2019. The Yakima River Basin (the Basin) supports a vast agricultural economy and is the homeland of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Additionally, the Basin is home to several Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed aquatic species. Throughout history, water scarcity in the Basin has been a source of conflict between those who use water for out-of-stream purposes such as agriculture and those who strive to retain enough in-stream flows for fish and other uses. The Yakima
River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (Integrated Plan) is recognized as a national model of collaborative governance and a commonsense approach that has successfully provided water security for farms, fish, and families in the Basin. It is widely acknowledged throughout the region and the world as a successful example of integrated water resource management. As the YRBWEP Ecosystem Restoration Team manager, this position:
Manages and coordinates ecosystem restoration Integrated Plan elements including structural elements and operations, reservoir and tributary fish passage, habitat/watershed protection and enhancement, and instream flow enhancement for fish.
Coordinates ecosystem restoration efforts with the Yakama Nation, Federal, state, and local agencies, and national and local environmental entities.
Integrates Reclamation's ecosystem restoration actions into overarching YRBWEP activities through coordination and collaboration with Federal, state, and tribal partners.
Strategizes, plans, and implements a suite of projects to support the 10-year Salmon/Steelhead and Bull Trout Action Plans in support of the overall Yakima Project Operation and Maintenance ESA consultation.
Coordinates and communicates Reclamation policies in regional and Reclamation forums, work groups, and meetings regarding reservoir fish passage, tributary fish passage, habitat, watershed, instream flow protection and enhancement, and ESA conservation throughout the Yakima Basin.
Represents Reclamation on federal inter-agency teams to coordinate actions for ecosystem restoration, fish passage and instream flow enhancement for fish.
Oversees multi-million-dollar annual budget ($15-$20 million) and tracks the budget for YRBWEP's Ecosystem Restoration activities.
Sponsors and manages multiple large contracts ($50-$100 million) within agency guidelines.
Supervises Ecosystem Restoration Team for YRBWEP Office.
You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
You will be required to complete a Financial Disclosure Form.
Qualifications
To be eligible for consideration, you must first meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position, having (a) a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a related discipline appropriate to the position, OR (b) college courses equivalent to a major, as shown in (a) above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must submit transcript(s) to support claimed education.
In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.
To qualify at the GS-13, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-12 level in federal service, having demonstrated experience in ALL of the following: 1) drafting environmental compliance documents such as environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, biological opinions, and/or biological assessments, particularly related to water management or river-reservoir systems OR serving on interdisciplinary teams preparing such documents; 2) developing and evaluating water-related data and information to evaluate and/or demonstrate compliance with federal and/or state legal and regulatory requirements; 3) collaborating with stakeholders (e.g., non-governmental entities, industry and private sector interests, academia, other federal agencies, state/local/tribal officials) to identify and fulfill scientific needs and/or implement measures to protect water and related resources; 4) supervising and planning the work of subordinates OR leading teams and developing work plans; 5) developing and monitoring contracts involving environmental compliance activities; and 6) implementing fish passage projects, including those at/in reservoirs, tributaries, or large-scale ecosystem restoration plans.
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 Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 08/15/2024.
Education
This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. Non-submission will result in being rated not-qualified for the position.
You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.
Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.
Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.
Additional information
You may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period.
You may be required to serve an initial supervisory probation period.
Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. **THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION.**
If otherwise 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.
Current agency employees may be eligible to receive a referral bonus for recruitment of this position. For information visit: Referral Bonus Awards.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses, with the exception of the Guaranteed Home Sale Provision, or first-post-of-duty relocation expenses are authorized, as applicable. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law December 2017, suspends the moving expense deduction and the exclusion from income of qualified employer reimbursements of moving expenses that was allowed under previous tax laws. Employer reimbursements for moving costs are now generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet.
Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). For information, visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave
DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
This position is designated as a MODERATE RISK Public Trust position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated Public Trust Suitability Background Investigation (T2S or T2RS or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide to the application questionnaire. The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12494818.
Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position. You must make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than what is apparent in the description of your experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training (or that your resume/application is incomplete), you could be rated ineligible or your score could be lowered.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.
RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here.
TRANSCRIPTS: Required for candidates using education as a basis for qualifications.
CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applications (resume, application questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 08/15/2024. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.
Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.
Columbia-Cascades Area Office
Bureau of Reclamation
Columbia-Cascades Area Office
1917 Marsh Road
Yakima, WA 98901
US
Next steps
Upon successful submission of the application packet, you will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If you do not receive this email confirmation, your application has not yet been accepted by the system.
After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.
RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here.
TRANSCRIPTS: Required for candidates using education as a basis for qualifications.
CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applications (resume, application questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 08/15/2024. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.
Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.
Columbia-Cascades Area Office
Bureau of Reclamation
Columbia-Cascades Area Office
1917 Marsh Road
Yakima, WA 98901
US
Next steps
Upon successful submission of the application packet, you will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If you do not receive this email confirmation, your application has not yet been accepted by the system.
After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
