• Job Description

  Req#: 826128300
  This position provides assistance to the Soil and Water Conservation District assigned to the field office within the assigned Natural Resources area; and to work with landowners to apply and maintain a number of conservation practices and review of financial assistance requests under the provision of federal, state, and local agriculture programs.
  
  Locations are available within the state of Kansas only.
  
  Duties
  
  
  • Provides information to farmers, ranchers and other rural residents on the kinds of assistance available from the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies.
  • Gather and compile planning data on rural and/or urban sites, including physical features such as soil limitations, erosion, surface drainage, sedimentation, and other natural resource data.
  • Prepare basic natural resources conservation plans where soil survey information is available. Presents material on practice application and specifications at community or contractor meetings.
  • Schedule follow up with landowners or operators to check progress of conservation practices that are under construction.
  
  
  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/.
  • 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
  
  
  Minimum Qualification Requirement: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying:
  
  NOTE TO APPLICANTS: The GS-0458 Soil Conservation Technician series is a technical position. Education is not a requirement for this position; however, this series allows individuals without experience in this field to substitute education in lieu of experience.
  
  Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
  
  Specialized/General Experience: To qualify for the GS-04 level, you must possess at least one year of experience which includes: Providing information to the public regarding conservation practices at events; Assisting landowners with completing applications; and collecting data to be used for developing conservation plans. OR
  Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. OR
  Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond two years (total semester hours minus 60) by 60. Add the two percentages. (Must provide transcripts).
  
  Specialized/General Experience: To qualify for the GS-05 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level or higher in Federal service which includes: Installing and maintaining agricultural land soil and water conservation measures on farms and ranches; Participates in efforts to implement conservation practices in conjunction with cropping, irrigation, and grazing systems and wildlife habitat management; OR Participation with an NRCS co-op organization such as a Municipal Conservation District, State Conservation Agency, Conservation Nonprofit organization, or Conservation Non-Governmental Organization. OR
  Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. (Must submit transcripts as proof of any claimed education.) OR
  Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond two years (total semester hours minus 60) by 60. Add the two percentages. (Must provide transcripts).
  
  Specialized/General Experience: To qualify for the GS-06 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in Federal service which includes:: Maintaining a variety of non-routine conservation measures on public and privately owned land including farms, parks, shoreline, dams and reservoir areas, forests, and/or wildlife habitats; Advising property holders on the effectiveness of applying soil and water conservation practices; Conducting basic research in support of conservation planning efforts; Performing surveying work. OR
  Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience: One full year of graduate education from an accredited college or university leading to a master's degree with a major course of study in Soil Conservation, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering/Construction Technology (Auto CAD/Drafting, Surveying, GIS), Agronomy, Agri-Business/Economics. OR
  Combination of Education and Experience: You must have a combination of education and experience as listed above which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. Only graduate education is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. One full academic year of graduate study, or 18 semester hours, is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience.
  
  For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/soil-conservation-technician-series-0458/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.

• 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.

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