Overview

  • Accepting applications

Duties

Summary

This position is being concurrently announced under Pathways Recent Graduate program as announcement number 21-NCH-SRM-454-57-RG. Current federal employees may apply to both announcements. This position may be filled at the GS-05 or GS-07 grade level with promotion potential to the GS-09.

Responsibilities

  • Assists in rangeland analysis to determine ecosystem health, diversity, trend, successional stage, site potential, desired plant community grazing capacity of the vegetation and any special problems connected with the specific land area involved.
  • Receives training in gathering, evaluating and processing data. Collects and analyzes rangeland resource data.
  • Serves as an advanced trainee in land management, rangeland conservation and ecosystem management planning processes and decision alternative development while performing work and developing skills and knowledges for a higher level position.
  • As assigned, makes contacts with local rangeland users, explaining the Forest rangeland program, answering questions, and coordinating with rangeland users to help resolve rangeland problems.
  • Receives training in preparing environmental analysis reports and/or environmental impact statements. As assigned, plans, establishes and completes the unit rangeland vegetation management program progress schedule.

Requirements

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
  • This may be a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, IAMAW.
  • A mobility agreement may be required. You may be reassigned or relocated to any geographical location where your services are needed as determined by management.

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.

Basic Qualification Requirements for the GS-05 and GS-07:

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 range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows: Range Management — At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning. Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences — At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable. Related Resource Management Studies — At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management.

OR

Combination of education and experience — at least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional education and/or experience are required for the grade(s) specified.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

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.

For the GS-07: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level; OR one full year of graduate level education; OR an appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience; OR Superior Academic Achievement (to determine if you are eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp ). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

Examples of specialized experience are: Collecting basic data from on the-ground observations to determine rangeland activity suitability, ecological heath, ecological status, trend and grazing capacity of the rangeland resource; gathering basic information for rangeland vegetation programs and monitoring strategies and activity permits for compliance and on-the-ground results; and/or assisting with rangeland improvement projects and maintenance.

Please note that Superior Academic Achievement can only be applied if you have graduated or completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT GS-07 ONLY: 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

This position has a positive education requirement, as outlined above under basic qualifications. The term positive education requirement refers to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) determination that the duties of a scientific, technical, or professional position cannot be performed by an individual that does not have the prescribed minimum education. For additional information on the qualification standards for the 0454 series, visit the OPM Qualifications Standard found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/rangeland-management-series-0454/

These positions are located in the following locations: BU=Bargaining Unit; NON BU= Non Bargaining Unit;

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Halsey, NE. For additional information, please contact Julie Bain at 505-231-6373 orjulie.bain@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Elkhart, KS. For additional information, please contact Kevin Taylor at 620-697-4621 or kevin.l.taylor@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Cody, WY. For additional information, please contact Crosby Thomas Davidson atp: 307-578-5151 orcrosby.davidson@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Magdalena, NM. For additional information, please contact Tina Cason at 575-854-2281 or tina.cason@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Grants, NM. For additional information, please contact Yolynda Begay at : 505-287-8833 or yolynda.begay@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Soda Springs, ID. For additional information, please contact Kevin Parker at 208-547-1108 or kevin.p.parker@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and NON-BU eligible: Bayfield, CO. For additional information, please contact Courtney Raukar at 970-884-2512 or courtney.l.raukar@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and BU eligible: Council, ID. For additional information, please contact Robert Bumgarner at 208-549-4262 or 208-253-0114 or robert.bumgarner@usda.gov .

Positions in the following location are full performance GS-09 and BU eligible: Winthrop, WA. For additional information, please contact John Rohrer at 509-996-4001or john.rohrer@usda.gov .