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Social Scientist/Natural Resource Manager (Recreation)/Landscape Architect

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

There are three positions being filled through this vacancy. All positions are located in the Eastern Region. For additional information about these positions, please refer to the Additional Information section.

Serves as a unit Recreation Program Manager providing strategic planning, leadership, and coordination of the unit's multi-faceted recreation program. The incumbent also recommends operating policies, practices, and procedures and is responsible for programming and budgeting.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/17/2023 to 10/30/2023
Salary
$69,107 to - $107,680 per year

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
3 vacancies in the following locations:
Cadillac, MI
Cass Lake, MN
Cook, MN
Duluth, MN
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for site visits, meetings, and/or trainings.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
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-R9GVP1-INTERDIS-FS3229G
Control number
755033000

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Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance level, GS-12.
  • Provide expert technical support and facilitate interdisciplinary approaches to the development of resource plans and recreation management activities.
  • Formulate long-range resource management planning input for natural resources plans on a unit.
  • Analyze and recommend priorities and adjustments based on changing direction and variety of work factors.
  • Correlate program recommendations into annual recreation management plan.
  • Prepare detailed long-range and short-term recreation plans, environmental analysis reports, and evaluate proposal statements prepared by others.
  • Develop recommendations and guidance documents to ensure recreation program objectives are accomplished.
  • Provide accomplishment information and determine if correction or changes are needed in objectives.
  • Communicate with federal, state, county/town, universities, and other interest groups, to represent the agency in numerous meetings, situations, and events.
  • Communicate and negotiate with federal, state, county/town, universities, and other interest groups as partners to plan and develop cooperative endeavors.
  • Communicate with Federal, State, County/Town, Universities, and other interest groups to address mutual issues and controversial situations.
  • This position supervises 20% or less 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 USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required new supervisory training program within the 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:
For the GS-0101: 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: http://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 A 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.

For the 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: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/gs0400/0401.htm

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 A 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 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.

For the GS-0807: 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/0800/landscape-architecture-series-0807/

Degree: Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours from an accredited college or university leading to a Bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in landscape architecture or landscape design.

OR A Combination of education and experience-- for each year short of graduation, the applicant must have had 1 year of experience under professional leadership and guidance of such character and diversity as to be a satisfactory substituted for the required education. This experience must have included original landscape design.

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-11 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level; OR 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.).

Examples of specialized experience include one or more of the following: Developed and monitored a portion of an annual program of work in recreation, trails, special uses, and wilderness and ensured compliance with guidelines and direction; Implemented recreation plan objectives and inspected the full range of recreation uses, administration of special use authorization for recreation events and concessionaire operations; Developed contract or agreement language for recreation projects; Assisted with the administration of a recreation program preparing environmental assessments for proposed land use; Prepare maintenance plans and schedules to coordinate maintenance and construction activities.

For the GS-12 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level.

Examples of specialized experience are at least one or more of the following: Provided expertise and advice in the administration of recreation program and projects by preparing and managing project scopes, budgets, and schedules; Ensured the new recreation facilities are in accordance with approved plans; Coordinated future recreation use and development between internal (Engineers, Wildlife Biologist, etc.) and external partners to ensure consistency in program emphasis, development, and use between unit resources; Provided expertise and advice in assessing current recreation use, type, and standards, and in long-range planning, maintenance, and operation of recreation facilities; Reviewed recreation projects and proposals for recreation facilities or activities, and made recommendations or revisions to new and/or existing 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.

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 Qualification Section for any educational requirements.

Additional information

There are two positions being filled in the following locations:
Cook, Duluth or Ely, MN- 1 position in either location
Contact: Susan Catton at susan.catton@usda.gov

Cass Lake, MN- 1 position in this location
Contact: Millie Baird at millie.baird@usda.gov

Cadillac, MI- 1 position in this location
Contact: James Simino at james.simino@usda.gov

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/

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.

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.
These are non-bargaining unit positions.

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing is not available.

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
  • Supervision
  • Workforce Environment
  • Writing


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/12159489

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