Rangeland Management Specialist.

Bureau of Land Management; Dillon (MT); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Bureau of Land Management in Montana seeks a rangeland management specialist to provide expertise to staff, land users, and the public, and to lead assessments of grazing areas and rangeland conditions. The role involves reviewing grazing permit applications, coordinating with interdisciplinary teams, and updating plans for managing grazing resources.

It also serves as the main liaison for permittees and field office decisions, with probationary periods and federal employment norms relevant to

Responsibilities

• Provides expertise and guidance on rangeland management to staff, land users, and the public.
• Plans and carries out assessments of grazing areas and rangeland conditions.
• Reviews grazing permit applications to ensure compliance with laws and requirements.
• Leads and participates in cross-disciplinary teams to solve problems.
• Develops and updates plans and guidance for managing grazing and rangeland resources.
• Acts as the primary point of contact between permittees and field office decision-makers for range improvements and permit renewals.

Job description

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides expertise and guidance on rangeland management to staff, land users, and the public.
• Plans and carries out assessments of grazing areas and rangeland conditions.
• Reviews grazing permit applications to make sure they meet applicable laws and requirements.
• Leads and participates in teams that bring together experts from different fields.
• Develops and updates plans and guidance for managing grazing and rangeland resources.
• Serves as the primary point of contact between permittees and field office decision-makers, overseeing coordination and planning for range improvements, permit renewals, and other proposed actions.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This Probationary Period Is An Extension Of The Appointment Process And Therefore Requires The Agency To Determine If Continued Employment Would Advance The Public Interest, Meet The Organization Goals And Mission Of The Agency, And/or Otherwise Promote The Efficiency Of The Service. In Determining If Your Employment Advances The Public Interest, The Agency Will Consider

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/17/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

-AND-

Minimum Qualification Requirements

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

• Degree: Range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows:
• Range Management -- At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning.
• Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences -- At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable.
• Related Resource Management Studies -- At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management. You must submit transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (1) Assisting in the conservation, regulation, and use of public or federally controlled lands for grazing; (2) Assisting range inventory and monitoring activities that include field data collection; (3) Assisting in the operation of a livestock ranch or in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public rangelands; (4) Assisting in the development of rangeland management plans to improve range condition and minimize invasive species. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field related to the position being filled. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience. At least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must provide all transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (1) Evaluating conservation plans (2) Conducting biological analyses of public rangeland projects; (3) Designing technical surveys (4) Reviewing range permit applications for compliance. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience. At least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must provide all transcripts.

Volunteer Experience

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.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:

Additional Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Promotion to the full performance level

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Ethics Prohibitions

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

Physical Demands

The individual works in an office setting at this level, however, in order to gather samples and complete monitoring activities, the individual may frequently be required to walk or ride horses and/or vehicles over rough terrain, perform duties that require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching or lifting. Work may also include lifting of moderately heavy items, such equipment and samples. Extended period of driving four-wheel drive vehicles over rough terrain is required to reach remote areas. Overnight camping is sometimes required. The incumbent may be subjected to hostile wildlife, chemical and physical hazards.

Work Environment

The work of the employee is performed in an office setting. However, frequently when necessary to complete the work, there is outdoor exposure. Outdoor exposure requires some discomfort in extremes of temperature or inclement weather.

Outdoor Work

Outdoor work is performed in remote areas. The work involves regular and recurring exposure to risks and discomfort (e.g., outdoor camping, insect borne disease). Special safety precautions and specialized equipment are required.

Telework

The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

Candidate Profile

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.

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.

Benefits Availability

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.