Rangeland Management Specialist

Natural Resources Conservation Service; Kingman (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in the Field Operations Team seeks a conservation-focused professional to develop and implement tailored natural resource conservation programs for customers.

You will conduct on-site evaluations, interpret soil data, and help prepare conservation plans and program contracts while coordinating with partners and staff to meet NRCS standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in Range Management or a related discipline with at least 42 semester hours in plant, animal, soil sciences and natural resources management.
• Combination of education and experience accepted per guidance; meets core knowledge requirements.
• Specialized Experience for GS-11 includes developing grazing land conservation plans and guiding landowners on resource concerns.

Responsibilities

• Conduct on-site inventory evaluations and analyze effects of land-use on natural resources.
• Create conservation plans and routine updates; recommend practices and prepare contracts.
• Provide technical guidance on Farm Bill programs and cost-share rules; document data in NRCS systems.

Skills

Soil survey interpretation

GIS analysis

Conservation planning

Data management

Education

Range Management

Plant/Animal/Soil sciences

Natural resources management

Tools

NRCS systems

GIS software

NRCS online software

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Field Operations Team. The incumbent performs duties which assist the Team Leader in developing and carrying out a coordinated natural resources conservation program tailored to customers' needs and meeting USDA and NRCS requirements.

Duties

• Conducts on-site inventory evaluations, evaluates resource concerns, interprets soil survey data, and analyzes effects of land-use alternatives on soil, water, plant, air, and animal resources.
• Creates complete conservation plans, recommends practical practices like rotational grazing and water systems, prepares program contracts, updates existing plans, and leads conservation demonstrations and tours
• Delivers technical guidance for Farm Bill programs, clarifies cost-share and payment rules, records planning and practice data in NRCS systems, and uses GIS, digital data tools, and NRCS online software.
• Spot-checks planning and practice application, prepares maps and documentation, completes HEL and Wetland determinations, and ensures work meets NRCS policy and standards and overall compliance.
• Promotes NRCS via tours and materials, coordinates with agencies and partners, trains staff, assists workload analysis, and supports performance reporting and team leader.

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 may be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are unable to reimburse for any fees incurred.
• Probationary and Trial Period – Successful completion of a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period unless previous federal service is creditable. Refer to Next Steps for more information.
• 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.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.
• This position requires the incumbent to obtain a Conservation Planning Certification in accordance with the guidelines in General Manual 180 Part 409.3.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.

Basic Education Requirement: 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. 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.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement

For the GS-11 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in federal service or comparable experience not gained through federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: developing and reviewing multiple-use conservation plans on grazing lands; providing guidance and assistance to landowners and operators, as well as field office staff, on the identification of resource concerns on grazing lands to ensure that conservation plans provide for the application of technically accurate and adequate practices; following up with landowners to implement grazing management plans, evaluate problems, and propose land improvement alternatives; conducting onsite measurement, monitoring, collection, and analysis of data regarding land use and natural resources conditions and trends.

OR

Education at the GS-11 grade level: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Range Management, Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences, and/or Related Resource Management Studies.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience as listed above.

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.

Time-in-Grade Requirement: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. You must meet this requirement by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

College Transcript: If qualifying based on education, you must submit a copy of your college transcript with course number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. 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 to ensure proper evaluation.

Your education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited toward qualifications. You may verify accreditation by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs website. We will verify your education accordingly.

Foreign Education: You must submit verification that education completed in a foreign institution, was recognized by an accreditation body accepted by the U.S. Department of Education. You must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript. 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 National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. Your transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcript at the initial phase of the application process. However, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Please refer to the instructions on submitting transcripts.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): 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 candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-based basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Physical Demands: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to conservation work, requiring walking on rough terrain, jumping ditches and furrows, or climbing steep banks. The employee may operate a motor vehicle.

Work Environment: A significant portion of the work is performed outdoors, involving regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks such as travel in vehicles off-road, exposure to wind, strong temperature variations, insects, snakes, and other wildlife. Special safety precautions are necessary and protective clothing and equipment are required.

Telework: This position is eligible for telework as determined by the agency policy.

Incentives: Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.

Bargaining Unit: This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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.

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. Learn 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.