NRES Career Information

Resources related to careers in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

Job Title:Natural Resource Specialist (https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/412150700)

Department:Department Of Agriculture

Agency:Forest Service

Job Announcement Number:15-RES-167728DP-DLG

JOB SUMMARY:

A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation's most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies.

It's an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.

This position is with the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry, Forest Management Staff. The incumbent serves Natural Resource Specialist with primary responsibility for Forest Legacy and Community Forest Programs which are authorized under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1979, as amended. This program is designated to provide Federal leadership and assistance to the development and implementation of State Forest Legacy Programs in the 20 States served by Northeastern Area.

There are 4 possible duty locations. Final determination of duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of job offer: [Morgantown, WV, Durham, NH, Newtown Square, PA or Falcon Heights, MN].

Pay rates vary depending on location. See the OPM website at http://www.opm.gov/ for additional information on pay rates.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Mark Buccowich at 610-557-4029 or by email at mbuccowich@fs.fed.us.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

• Occasional Travel
• Occasional Travel 20% per year

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED

• No

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• US Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A 1-year probationary period is required.

DUTIES:

Duties are listed at full performance level. The incumbent is part of a team who work under the supervision of NAs Assistant Director for Forest Management, and in close cooperation with NA’s Forest Legacy and Community Forest program leads. This position works in State and Private Forestrys Forest Legacy Program. The incumbent serves as a specialist in the Community Forest Program (CF) and the Forest Legacy Program (FLP).Work will include but not be limited to providing State and municipal partners with expert assistance in all aspects of successful conservation easement monitoring and stewardship, including stewardship and monitoring standards, identification of best practices, and identifying research and policy gaps in the area of conservation easement monitoring. Working with State agencies, Municipalities and non- profits in the field of land conservation, using both conservation easements and fee land purchases; ability to clearly explain complicated issues or findings and problem solving.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered eligible for all positions at the GS-5 grade level and above. Transcripts must be provided with the application to validate that coursework requirements are met. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the appropriate experience requirement. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. 

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors 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 

Combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

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. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.

Foreign Education: Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Applicants must provide documentation with their application that the education was evaluated by a U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s website at http://www.ed.gov.

GS-9: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level Examples of specialized experience are: Project management experience interacting with State, municipal, and/or non-profit entities on a limited basis to support their work in land conservation, using both conservation easements and fee land purchases; successful conservation easement monitoring and stewardship, including stewardship and monitoring standards, identification of best practices, and identifying research and policy gaps in the area of conservation easement monitoring. Experience in explaining complicated issues or findings; and a demonstrated aptitude for problem solving 

or 

Masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related; or an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level. Examples of specialized experience are: Project management experience providing State, municipal, and/or non-profit entities with expert assistance in all aspects of land conservation, using both conservation easements and fee land purchases; successful conservation easement monitoring and stewardship, including stewardship and monitoring standards identification of and training others in best practices on conservation easement enforcement based on State, municipal, and/or non-profit lessons learned in addition to legal decisions regarding conservation easement enforcement and identifying and addressing research and policy gaps in the area of conservation easement monitoring. Ability to clearly explain complicated issues or findings; and a demonstrated aptitude for problem solving 

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); one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level; 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.). 

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. To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements as of the closing date of the announcement.

To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements as of the closing date of the announcement.

REQUIREMENTS:

May be subject to satisfactory completion of one year probationary or trial period.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans’ preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans’ preference within each category.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the “Apply Online” button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://fs.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=a3c5de6f-ba62-4d67-b678-a4eb007ebce5

BENEFITS:

The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package.  Explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees at:  http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/enrollment/new-federal-employee-enrollment/

OTHER INFORMATION:

Relocation expenses are NOT authorized.

Government housing is not available.

Forest Service affiliated daycare facilities are not available.

Telework is available for this position.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide proof of eligibility. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agencys definition for a quality candidate to be considered. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on OPMs Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.

Bargaining unit status: Eligible, not covered.

If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.

You are required to have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=6465.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.
The following instructions outline our application process.

• You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. 
• We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
• This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you are requesting this.

Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.

Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).

Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.

You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue.

NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

• Resume must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisor's phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
• College Transcripts if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or you are substituting education for specialized experience and/or if you are using education to meet the criteria for the quality category. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. Foreign education must be evaluated by an approved organization. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov. All transcripts must be in English or include English translation.
• Veterans, if claiming preference: DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty showing dates of service and type of discharge. Disabled veterans must include VA letter & SF-15 if claiming 10 pt. preference. Current active duty members must submit certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after date the certification is submitted.

You must submit the documents below if you are a current or former federal employee and claim any of the following:

• CTAP/ICTAP: Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; AND most recent performance evaluation; AND SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from.
• Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
• Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.

NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

HRM Contact Center
Phone: 877-372-7248 opt 2
Fax: 866-339-1634
TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: fsjobs@fs.fed.us

Agency Information:
USDA Forest Service
Do not mail in applications, see instructions under the How to Apply tab.
Albuquerque, 
87109
United States
Fax: 866-339-1634

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an acknowledgement email that the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Normally, a final job offer to the selected candidate is made within 30-60 days after the issuance of the certificate.