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Biologist

Employer
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Location
Grand Island, Nebraska, US
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Aug 12, 2022

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Sector
Academic / Research
Field
Conservation science
Discipline
Land Management
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Full time
Summary

This position is located within the Natural Resources Conservation Services Area on the Assistant State Conservationist Field Operations, Conservation Delivery Unit, or other State Conservationist staff units. The incumbent provides wildlife and biological support to all activities and all Farm Bill Programs.
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Overview
  • Accepting applications
  • Open & closing dates

    07/20/2022 to 08/03/2022
  • Salary

    $54,727 - $86,074 per year
  • Pay scale & grade

    GS 9 - 11
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    Location

    1 vacancy in the following location:
    • Grand Island, NE
  • Remote job

    No
  • Telework eligible

    Yes-as determined by the agency policy.
  • Travel Required

    Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
  • Relocation expenses reimbursed

    Yes-Relocation expenses may be authorized as allowable by Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and USDA policy.
  • Appointment type

    Permanent -
  • Work schedule

    Full-time -
  • Service

    Competitive
  • Promotion potential

    11
  • Job family (Series)

    0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences
  • Supervisory status

    No
  • Drug test

    No
  • Position sensitivity and risk

    Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
  • Trust determination process

    Suitability/Fitness

    Credentialing
  • Announcement number

    NRCS-22-11571605-MP-NE-AB
  • Control number

    666354200

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This job is open to
  • Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

    Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

  • Federal employees - Competitive service

    Current or former competitive service federal employees.

  • Land & base management

    Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

  • Special authorities

    Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.

  • Veterans


Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles.

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Duties
  • Provides support to Field Offices in carrying out the responsibilities of the Wetland conservation.
  • Provides biological guidance and leadership to NRCS personnel on the implementation of wetland restoration, wetland mitigation, wetland banking and all other wetland conservation measures; and policy and procedures of Farm Bill Programs.
  • Works directly with public and private landowners to develop and implement natural resource conservation plans addressing soil, water, air, plant, animal and human resource issues.
  • Provides direct technical guidance and support to partners in their special wildlife and biological initiatives to the Area Office level.
  • Conducts quality assurance and follow up training on both technical and administrative matters regarding field level planning and implementation of biological and wildlife related conservation practices.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment
  • 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

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time in grade, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Time in grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled (e.g. one year at the GS-7 grade level for consideration for the GS-9 grade level).

Basic Education Requirement:

Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (YOU MUST UPLOAD A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS) OR

Combination of Education and Experience:
Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Experience: Experience that included the application of techniques, principles, and methods from a variety of agricultural and natural resource fields is appropriate, given the interdisciplinary character of the occupation. For example, experience gained in a specialized field such as soil science, biology, forestry, or agronomy is as fully acceptable as experience.

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

Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-09, you must possess at least on year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-07 or higher in the Federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service that has equipped you with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For this position, specialized experience is defined as:

Assists with Farm Bill Program applications.

Effectively communicate with landowners, agency employees, and biologists in other agencies to clearly present technical soil and water conservation objectives and goals and to respond to technical inquiries with substantive information. OR

Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience:
For the GS-09: Possess two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent to a graduate degree in biological science, soil science, agriculture, natural resources management or related discipline.

Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-011, you must possess at least on year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 or higher in the Federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service that has equipped you with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For this position, specialized experience is defined as providing wildlife and biological support to all activities and all Farm Bill Programs. Examples of this experience may include:

Ability to research, interpret, and apply written guidelines, research data, evaluate facts and suggest alternative solutions.

Ability to make decisions in order to correlate and evaluate the development and implementation of wetland restoration and wildlife life habitat management plans and make recommendations to improve management strategies.

Independently plan and carry out work with other field staff as necessary and interprets policy and regulations.

Evaluating complex wildlife resource concerns, as well as conservation and natural resources problems/issues and reconcile conflicting environmental issues. OR

Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience: For the GS-11 level: Possess three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent to a doctoral degree in biological science, soil science, agriculture, natural resources management or related discipline. 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.

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.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. 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, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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 for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement.

Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information.

Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP 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/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
  • Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
  • Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information.
  • Physical Demands: Work requires long periods of standing; walking through rough terrain; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, or similar activities. Work may also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items, such as equipment or samples that weigh approximately 50 pounds.
  • Work Environment: Work involves exposure to moderate risks and discomforts, such as those due to adverse weather conditions; such as high winds and low or high temperatures, falling trees, hostile wildlife, and poisonous insects, plants, or snakes. Work requires special safety precautions and/or protective clothing and equipment.
  • PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following:
    • If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted.
    • If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline.
  • Promotion Potential: 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.
  • This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.
  • Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.

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  • Help
    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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

    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.


How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:
  • Conservation Planning
  • Oral Communication
  • Program Management
  • Technical Competence
  • Written Communication

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need only meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

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" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11571605

  • Help
    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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

    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.

  • As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

    The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
    • Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
    • If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name & the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
    • Current and former Federal employees:
      • Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade AND
      • Most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
    • Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series & grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
    • Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, that shows dates of service & discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment.
    • If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference.
    • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act: Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mos w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation SF-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.
    • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    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, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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