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A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation's most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies.
It's an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.
Two positions will be filled – one at each of the following locations:
Bradford, PA
Laramie, WY
For additional information regarding the duties of each position, please contact the following for each location:
Bradford, PA: Ed Baker at 814-363-6012 / ebaker@fs.fed.us
Laramie, WY: Dave Gloss at 307-326-2510 / dgloss@fs.fed.us
These positions are located on a Forest Service District and will provide Soil Scientist expertise.
The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.
Learn more about this agency06/22/2018 to 06/27/2018
$50,598 - $50,598 per year
GS 09
Occasional travel - Occasional travel for site visits/field work/training/meetings
No
Permanent
Full-Time
09
No
18GVQ2-0470-9-FS2600DP-bls
503074600
Examines data and completes reports in support of implementation plans for state, local and federal environmental protection programs. Identifies alternative soil management practices for different groups of soils. Provides soil management services to other resources in carrying out the goal of maintaining and improving soil productivity and controlling sediment to provide sustained yields of renewable resources.
Conducts reconnaissance and detailed soil surveys including field and/or laboratory examination, description, classification, and mapping of soils.
Prepares soil survey reports, watershed restoration plans, erosion control plans, soil resource improvement plans, soil management reports, and other special project reports for planners, designers, managers, and other users. Compiles reports on classification and mapping operations.
Follows established Forest Service procedures to evaluate, assess, and adjust complex project or program plans to implement provisions of federal environmental standards.
Work is performed in office and field settings. Field work hazards include risk of injury from falls, strains, striking against brush and overhanging branches, and exposure to inclement weather.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Must be 18 years of age
May be subject to satisfactory completion of one year probationary or trial period
You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered for this position. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the appropriate experience requirements.
Basic Requirements:
Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors or higher degree that included a major field of study in soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility. OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
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.
In addition to the basic requirements, the following additional education and/or experience are qualifying. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
For the GS-9 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level; OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
Examples of specialized experience are: Served as an advanced trainee specializing in soil science; conducted standard soil resource inventories and watershed restoration needs inventories; collected soil samples for laboratory analysis to determine physical, chemical, and morphological characteristics and classified soil properties according to appropriate standards; and/or assisted in writing watershed restoration plans, erosion control plans, soil resources improvement plans, soil management reports, soil survey reports.
To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.
Bradford, PA: This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, IAMAW.
Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS 'E-VERIFY' system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
Background Investigation and Fingerprint Check: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.
This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. 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.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. 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.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents 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 view Tips for Applicants – a guide to the Forest Service application process.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
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/503074600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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