Natural Resource Specialist/Soil Conservationist

Natural Resources Conservation Service • Casper, WY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is located in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Casper, Wyoming. The incumbent works under the supervision of the Assistant State Conservationist (ASTC-FO) in providing leadership and guidance in the implementation of Farm Bill programs, to include the administration of the area Integrated Accountability System (IAS) and the use of automated NRCS field tools as related to conservation programs utilized within the area.

Requirements

• 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.
• Probationary and Trial Period – Successful completion of a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period unless previous federal service is creditable.
• 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.
• 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.
• Basic Requirement: GS- 0401 : Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
• Basic Requirement: GS- 0457 : Degree: soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. OR Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.
• Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience as listed above.
• Specialized Experience for the GS-11 level: To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service, where experience required the knowledge of the principles and theories of soil and water conservation and related sciences such as biology, agronomy, and forestry, in identifying conservation related problems.
• For this position, specialized experience is defined as all of the following: Preparing conservation or resource management plans and/or providing financial or implementation assistance.
• Building and maintaining collaborative partnerships with producers or other natural resource stakeholders to promote the adoption of conservation practices and support community resource priorities.
• Communicating and sharing technical information and explaining issues related to natural resource conservation, problems, and solutions to landowners, residents, and land managers.
• OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-11 level: Three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D degree or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering.
• OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy.
• 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. You must meet this requirement by the closing date of this announcement.
• College Transcript: If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned.
• Your education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited toward qualifications.
• Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Your transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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 to ensure proper evaluation.
• You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcript at the initial phase of the application process. However, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
• To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Responsibilities

• Reviews existing Farm Bill contracts to develop, monitor, and evaluate proper contract execution to include, but not limited to, practice implantation and progress reporting by planned and applied contract dates.
• Directly advise and assist conservation organizations, private landowners, and conservation district members as they deliberate, discuss, plan, and carry out soil and water conservation policies, programs, and local activities.
• Works with the field staff to formulate recommendations of needed program rule and implementation process changes.
• Monitors direct charge time by budgeted program hours for all area employees through state or national developed tracking systems.
• Reviews and monitors partnership cooperative and/or contribution agreements as well as other competitive technical assistance contracts to ensure proper and timely execution of such agreements administered in the area.
• Completes related financial/programmatic audits and Review of Open Obligations Tool (ROOT).
• Provides training, guidance, and technical oversight relative to administration of the producer level financial and technical assistance provisions of the Farm Bill to include serving as the Area Certifying Officer for all farm bill obligations.
• Establishes and maintains working relationships with other Federal, state, local and private agencies, groups, and individuals at the field and area level.
• Represents NRCS at conferences or on committees relating to the Farm Bill programs for which the agency has responsibility.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree