Overview

  • Accepting applications

Duties

Summary

This position is assigned to a Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL), with a duty station of Portland, OR, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The primary purpose of the position is to conduct image interpretations and registration, construct site and support maps, identify and resolve discrepancies among source materials and assist with other data collection functions.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Performs National Resources Inventory (NRI) data collection activities using remote sensing photo interpretation techniques.
  • Downloads and uploads digital data and correctly populates data collection site samples with information gathered through digital imagery interpretation and from authoritative ancillary materials.
  • Ensures that data meet quality and accuracy standards established and evaluated during the quality review process.
  • Performs image-to-image registration of scanned aerial photography and ensures that output imagery meets agency standards for spatial accuracy and is suitable to help detect year-to-year changes during the data collection phase.
  • Scans current or historical aerial photography and ensures the quality of digital representation maintains maximum interpretability for the data collection process.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US 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.
  • Direct Deposit: 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 at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator’s license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the 05/31/2021 the of the announcement.

Minimum Qualifications:

GS-5: Must have one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience is experience in cartography or in a related field such as photogrammetry or geodesy, where the work required similar knowledge and skills performing the following: Creating map products using proper map design and cartographic principles; using GPS devices for field data collection; providing support of GPS and GIS technologies to field personnel; AND assisting with cartographic training delivery. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience.)

OR

Must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree that included at least 18 semester hours in courses such as cartography, relevant mathematical and statistical sciences, or related sciences, e.g., cartography, astronomy, geodesy, photogrammetry, oceanography, computer science, land surveying, geophysics, remote sensing, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and physical geography. Not more than 9 of the 18 semester hours should have been in mathematics or statistics. (YOU MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS.)

OR

Must have a combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent.

GS-6: Must have One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience is experience in cartography or in a related field such as photogrammetry or geodesy, where the work required similar knowledge and skills performing the following: assisting with mapping data collection, analyses, and interpretations of aerial photography and imagery; constructing support maps from digital files using field survey data; scanning ancillary maps and materials to support data collection activities for inventory projects; AND utilizing mapping software (e.g. ArcGIS, ERADAS, etc), or other computer applications. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience.)

OR

Must have successfully completed one full year of graduate education in cartography or other field directly related to the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. (MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS.)

OR

Must have a combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent.

GS-7: Must have one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience is experience in cartography or in a related field such as photogrammetry or geodesy, where the work required similar knowledge and skills performing the following: Compiling and updating metadata records for geospatial data sets; Collecting geospatial and natural resource data using manual and technology assisted methods including remote sensing photo interpretation techniques; Utilizing basic operations and scripted processes to manipulate and analyze geospatial data and imagery; AND Using GIS software and cartographic tools to create thematic and reference maps following standard protocols. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience.)

OR

Must have successfully completed one full year of graduate education in cartography or other field directly related to the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. (MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS.)

OR

Must have a combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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:https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html