U.S. Department of Agriculture

NATURAL RESOURCE SPECIALIST


Pay86,962.00 - 167,336.00 / year
LocationRemote
Employment typeFull-Time

This job is now closed

  • Job Description

      Req#: 794457900
      This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Production and Conservation Business Center (FPAC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Areawide Planning Branch of the Conservation Planning and Technical Assistance Division.

      The primary focus of this position will be in supporting NRCS's Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) and WLFW Frameworks for Conservation Action.

      Duties


      • Provides expertise in Agency areawide planning delivery to support development of Frameworks for Conservation Action (Frameworks).
      • Coordinates the development of progress and accomplishment reporting for implementation of Frameworks.
      • Assists NRCS State offices and partners in the delivery of conservation assistance to implement Frameworks.
      • Collaborates with various levels of personnel across NRCS deputy areas and states to provide technical guidance and support for natural resource and conservation planning policy and practice in support of major national and state office operations.
      • Provides leadership by advising and assisting field staff with planning project activities, training, and development programs.
      • Coordinates and communicates with governmental and non-governmental partners and the public to advance shared landscape level conservation objectives.
      • Oversees national policy responsibilities and applies expertise of NRCS concepts, principles, programs, technical functions, and administrative activities to advise others on assigned programmatic regulations and requirements.

      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. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
      • 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/.

      Qualifications


      Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

      BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

      Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (You must submit transcripts.)

      OR

      Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and 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. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation. (You must submit transcripts.)

      In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered.

      MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying:

      GS-12
      Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
      • Gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to evaluate the effectiveness conservation efforts;
      • Correlating data received from report findings to prepare budgets and estimates;
      • Providing technical guidance, assistance, and evaluation of natural resource and conservation programs;
      • Presenting proposals and recommendations to staff, representatives of other agencies, and project sponsors; and
      • Collaborating with others to provide guidance and support for natural resource and conversation planning policy.
      (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

      Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level.

      GS-13
      Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:
      • Analyzing and making recommendations on existing rules, regulations, procedures, and techniques to resolve operational issues;
      • Monitoring data collection activities to ensure they are coherent, consistent, and accurate;
      • Advising field staff on planning project activities, training, and development programs;
      • Maintaining relationships with internal and external contacts to represent an agency on committees, task forces, and other groups involving program functions; and
      • Identifying problems and inefficiencies to develop and maintain national policy and guidance.
      (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

      Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-13 level.

      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.

      The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series
  • About the company

      The United States Department of Agriculture, also known as the Agriculture Department, is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in the United States and internationally.