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Land Law Examiner (Lands & Realty)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM-Carlsbad, New Mexico

Summary

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

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Division of Lands & Minerals, CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply in 1 day
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 17, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$74,678 - $97,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes - If selected, you will be required to annually complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty.
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
NM-MP-12983417-MC
Control number
872815200

Duties

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  • Serves as the state's authority and technical expert in lands adjudication functions and requirements.
  • Adjudicates the most difficult, unusual, complex, controversial, unprecedented cases that are received or referred for final examining and decision.
  • Adjudicate routine lands, mining, or mineral leasing applications filed which have more complex statutory and regulatory provisions, require development and review of a considerable amount of data and involve controversial factual situations.
  • Processes and makes determinations on cases that set precedent and have significant economic impact, competing government interests, and/or affect several different geographic areas including the national level.
  • Prepares title documents for the conveyance of public lands and interests and the acquisition of private lands and interests.
  • Prepares, finalizes, and distributes patents to meet requirements of applicable laws, regulations, and the BLM patent manual, and reviews patents prepared by lower grade examiners.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.

Qualifications

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.

To qualify for the GS-11:

You must possess at least one or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. This experience may include all of the following:

  • Reviewing and processing the full scope of lands and minerals cases for completeness and legal sufficiency, including applications for permit to drill (APDs), Natural Gas Policy Act determinations, unitization and communization agreements, lease issuance and termination, operator resignations/designations, drainage, bonding, and associated development actions.
  • Adjudicating complex agreements and applications for technical accuracy and compliance with federal land laws, regulations, and policies (e.g., FLPMA, Mineral Leasing Act), applying precedents, and independently developing facts and evidence for case decisions.
  • Determining applicant qualifications and land status, including the ability to interpret legal land descriptions, verify boundaries, confirm applicable rights and interests, and ensure consistency with BLM policy and regulatory standards.
  • Preparing and issuing leases, permits, grants, and other legal instruments that include required stipulations, royalty provisions, limitations, and conditions of approval. Ensures documents meet legal, procedural, and policy requirements.
  • Drafting clear, defensible adjudication decisions and correspondence requesting additional information, outlining legal reasoning, and communicating outcomes to operators, stakeholders, or other agencies.
  • Applying advanced analytical and technical skills, including use of BLM land, minerals, and case-management systems; GIS tools; and land records to evaluate status, determine compliance, and support adjudication findings.
  • Coordinating with internal and external parties, providing authoritative guidance on case requirements, regulatory interpretations, and technical standards related to lands and minerals adjudication.
- OR-

Education: I have a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., directly related to duties performed by a Land Law Examiner. Examples of related coursework are 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-

Combination of Education and Experience:
You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this 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.

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

Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically,
i. Area of Consideration.
ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.
iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS)

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

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.

PCS INFORMATION:
No PCS entitlements authorized.

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.

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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary or two-year trail period or during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position. Once the application process is complete, HR will review your application to ensure you meet eligibility and minimum qualifications. To determine if you are minimally qualified for this position, HR will complete a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire. In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications requirement(s), you will be required to complete a USA Hire Assessment that will assess the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Decision Making
  • Reasoning

In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals.
Performance Appraisal: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

Bureau of Land Management

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Agency contact information

Margarette Carter
Email
margarette_carter@ios.doi.gov
Address
BLM New Mexico State Office
BLM New Mexico, NM-951
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
US

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