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Do you want to work for a premier conservation agency whose mission is to “help people help the land?” For more than 83 years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has worked in close partnership with farmers, ranchers, forest managers, non-governmental organizations, local and state governments, and other federal agencies to create and maintain healthy and productive working landscapes.
As part of USDA’s new Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area, we are the focal point for assisting the voluntary conservation efforts of the nation’s farmers, ranchers and other stewards of agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. We help these stewards plan and implement proven conservation systems through technical and financial assistance designed to enhance productivity, improve soil and water health, and restore wetlands and wildlife habitat.
The NRCS employs over 10,000 professionals who work in over 3,000 locations, over 95 percent of whom are outside the Washington, D.C. area and covering every county in the U.S. We value our employees and are committed to employee engagement and work/life balance programs. We are also part of the USDA, which was ranked 7th among all federal agencies as a “best place to work” through the FY2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
We need people who are committed to action through public service-- people who want to apply their education and experience to help ensure that all of us enjoy the benefits that come from a healthy environment and productive agriculture. Please consider joining us and helping to make a difference for generations to come.
04/11/2018 to 04/17/2018
$26,587 - $34,561 per year
GS 03
Occasional travel - As required to perform the duties of the position and complete the requirements of the Pathways Program.
No
Internships
Full-Time
04
No
NRCS-18-0234-PW-MW
496426000
The Pathways Internship Program is for current diploma/certificate/degree-seeking students and is designed to attract students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions with paid opportunities to work in USDA/NRCS and explore Federal careers while still in school. This program exposes students to jobs in the Federal civil service by providing meaningful developmental work while completing their academic requirements. For more information on the Pathways Internship, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads.
Student Trainees will perform the following duties under direct supervision. Assignments will be developmental in nature and will assist the employee in gaining the competencies necessary for a career.
Employment Requirements:
• Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. The position may require a background investigation at the time of appointment, and may be subject to reinvestigation every five years thereafter. A favorable adjudication of the background investigation at the time of appointment and on reinvestigations is a condition of employment.
• If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• Depending on the location selected, if students work for more than one year, they may be required to be mobile and work in other locations within the state selected thereafter.
• Must sign a Pathways Agreement.
PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following:
Degree: soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science; OR
Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown in A above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.
All academic degrees or course work must be completed in an educational institution that has obtained accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov/ or http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx.
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 HERE for more information.
• Locality Pay: The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables may be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/.
• Physical Demands: Work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as walking on rough terrain, jumping ditches and furrows, climbing steep banks, or negotiating other terrain features.
• Work Schedules: Selected Interns will be expected to work full-time (40 hours per week) during school summer breaks, and may be allowed to work part-time during the school year, depending on location/state selected.
• Promotion to the next higher grade may occur without further competition once all legal and regulatory requirements are met to include management’s certification of the continuing need for performance of duties at the higher grade level.
• Depending on budget, you may be authorized a housing stipend for the summer if the location selected for is outside the local commuting area of your temporary or permanent address. You may also be provided reimbursement for out-of-pocket transportation expenses necessary to get to and from duty station at the end of the work period (summer). Availability and the gross amount will vary by location; not all work locations offer these benefits.
• This position may be eligible for occasional telework within the commuting area of the duty location of the position and/or for other flexible work arrangements. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.
• Depending on the location selected, if students work for more than one year, they may be required to be mobile and work in other locations within the state selected thereafter.
• It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=6465
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Application materials received by the closing date will be used to determine whether you meet eligibility criteria for Pathways Internship Program and the extent to which your responses to the Questionnaire satisfy the requirements.
All applicants who meet basic eligibility and qualification requirements will be referred to the selection official in veteran’s preference order. Preference will be given to applicants claiming veteran’s preference based on the supporting documents submitted.
Attempts to falsify information; inflate your qualifications or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may be grounds for disqualification. If selected providing inaccurate information on federal documents could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please review and follow all instructions carefully.
To view the application form, visit: https://nrcs.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=C7900C7F-8085-40BE-9DE7-A8BE01072289
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents in English may result in loss of consideration.
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.
The following instructions outline our application process.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.
You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Normally, a final job offer to the selected candidate is made within 30-60 days after the issuance of the certificate.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/496426000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps America’s farmers and ranchers conserve the Nation’s soil, water, air and other natural resources. We need people who want to apply their education and experience to make sure we all enjoy the benefits of productive soil, clean water, clean air, and abundant wildlife that come from a healthy environment. “Helping People Help the Land” http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
