Geologist Job in Elko, NV

Vacancy No. NV-Merit-25-12631007-RCM Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $49,025.00 to $94,317.00 Grade 7 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/10/2024 Close Date 12/26/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Elko, NV


Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in Elko, NV. For more information, please visit the Elko Chamber of Commerce.

We expect to fill one (1) vacancy at this time. Additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

This position is authorized a 20% incentive - see Additional Information.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All current career/career-conditional or former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Veterans' Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA); Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) and former Public Land Corps (PLC) eligibles; Persons eligible under other Special Hiring Authorities. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area.

Duties

  • Uses trainee know how to develop and update the geology and minerals portion of the local office planning system that could include inventories, opportunities for development, economic data, and possible conflicts with other programs (GS-07).
  • Under close supervision and structure provided by the supervisor, provides written and oral assistance to the public on questions concerning the laws, regulations, and policy governing all aspects of mineral resources on public lands (GS-07).
  • Independently, the trainee would perform to following functions: review the operating plan for adequacy, draft surface protection plans to reduce surface activities impact and know how to review plans applicable to protection of public lands (GS-07).
  • Develops portions of the office’s long-range programming for the minerals program. Provides written/oral assistance to the public on questions concerning the laws, regulations, and policy governing all aspects of mineral resources on public lands.
  • Prepares mineral reports on the salable and locatable mineral potential, based on field exams and literature searches.
  • Provides technical expertise in formulating surface protection stipulations, standards, and mitigating measures to reduce the adverse impacts of surface disturbing activities.
  • Develops, implements, and updates the geology and minerals portion of the district planning system that could include inventories, opportunities for development, economic data, and possible conflicts with other programs.
  • Reviews mining, prospecting, and drilling plans for adequacy under Bureau standards, including surface protection of public lands subject to mining and leasable mineral development.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • If selected for this position, you will be required to annually complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty.
  • May require a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

This position has a Basic Education Requirement (BER) which can be satisfied by meeting one of the following:

For the Geologist: Have a degree in geology, which includes or is supplemented by 20 semester hours in any combination of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological science, structural, chemical, civil, mining or petroleum engineering, computer science, planetary geology, comparative planetology, geophysics, meteorology, hydrology, oceanography, physical geography, marine geology, and cartography; OR have a combination of education and experience with course work equivalent to that above plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For GS-07: Meet the basic requirement AND have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05. Specialized experience is further defined as provide expertise in processing applications to conduct oil & gas drilling; assist in the review of mineral exploration proposals; prepare environmental assessments for minerals activities; advise the public on law, regulations & procedures that pertain to mining claims, material sales & mineral leasing; OR completed one (1) year of graduate education leading to a master`s degree in the field of geology or directly related education; OR meet the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.); OR meet the basic requirement AND possess an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

For GS-09: Meet the basic education requirement and have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 level. Specialized experience is further defined as review & provide geologic expertise in the processing of applications to conduct drilling; review mineral exploration proposals & recommend stipulations to protect resource values; provide geologic data to staff engaged in drainage & economic evaluation; OR 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master`s degree; OR master`s or equivalent graduate degree in the field of geology or directly related fields of study; OR meet the basic education requirement and possess an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

For GS-11: Meet the basic education requirement and have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level. Specialized experience is further defined as experience gained through geological field or laboratory work that provided a means of obtaining professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of geology and closely related sciences, e.g., geophysics, geochemistry, or hydrology. Such work generally must have involved making close observations, taking samples, handling various types of instruments and equipment, assembling geologic data from source materials, and analyzing and reporting findings orally and in writing; OR have successfully completed three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the field of geology or directly related fields of study; OR meet the basic education requirement and possess an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate undergraduate education. Undergraduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.

Physical Demands: The work includes both office and field conditions. Office work involves long periods of intense concentration on technical details. Most field work requires a certain level of physical stamina and is often under a variety of arduous conditions, including travel by vehicle, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), or by foot over rugged, slippery, and/or hazardous terrain, exposure to adverse temperature and weather conditions, as well as physiographic extremes. The individual may be required to perform duties that require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching or lifting. Work may also include lifting of moderately heavy items, such equipment and samples.

Work Environment: When in the office, the position is physically located in close proximity to a number of other professional employees, and must tolerate and average amount of conversation, telephone and other similar office distractions and background noise. Office quarters are located in a modern office building and tend to be "open space" arrangements.

Field conditions include the full range of topographic conditions, ranging from rolling plains to a steep mountainous terrain. Incumbent will, on occasion, be required to enter surface and underground mines and tolerate high/low temperatures, dust and high levels of noise and vibration. Safety clothing such as self-contained breathing apparatus; safety boots, goggles, etc. are required to be worn. During winter months temperatures of 10 degrees Fahrenheit can be expected, while during the summer temperatures in excess of +100 degrees Fahrenheit are not uncommon. The incumbent may be subjected to hostile wildlife, chemical and physical hazards. Incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

When completing work assignments in the office or field, or operating a motorized vehicle, incumbent must be alert to safety hazards to ensure work is accomplished in the most efficient and safe manner.

Education

This position falls under the Professional and Scientific Series, 1350 Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR).

This position has a positive education requirement (see qualification section for education requirements). You MUST submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

All selections and tentative offers of selection are contingent upon submission and verification of 'official' transcripts.

Additional information

Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: This position is offering a Relocation/Recruitment Incentive, 20% of the annual salary. To be eligible for a Relocation Incentive, you must be a current Federal Employee and the selectee must be employed with the Federal Government and the selectee's current duty location is more than 50 miles from the duty location of this position. To be eligible for a Recruitment Incentive, selectee must not be employed by the Federal Government.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number NV-DEU-25-12631006-RCM, which is open to all qualified persons. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-11. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Geology
  • Mining Engineering
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management


In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year). USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.

Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.

Transcripts: This position has a positive education requirement, see Education Section for document requirements.

Current and former federal career and career-conditional employees: Submit a copy of your most recent (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or equivalent document that verifies tenure (block 24, code 1 or 2) and Competitive Status (block 34, code 1).

Former Public Lands Corps (PLC) Member: Submit a copy of your "Certificate of Eligibility for Noncompetitive Hiring" along with a copy of your "PLC Participant Verification Work Hours Sheet."

Applicants eligible under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act as a current or former employee of a land management agency, who is serving or previously served on a temporary or term appointments, you must submit the following documentation to receive consideration:

  • SF-S0(s), Notification of Personnel Action, that documents your service under competitive examining procedures in time limited appointments that totals 24 months at land management agencies without a break in service of two or more years (initial, extension, and termination of all appointments); and
  • Documentation of satisfactory performance, if available, such as performance evaluations, references by supervisors, or other documents, e.g., memorandums of record, whereas the supervisor documented an acceptable performance level.
Failure to submit required documentation will result in loss of consideration.

Applicants eligible under a Special Hiring Authority for Veterans, you must submit proof that supports your claim. This may include:
  • A legible copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, member 4 copy or any official documentation or statement from the Armed Forces that confirms your dates of service and that your separation, discharge, or release from active duty was under honorable conditions.
  • If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide documentation (e.g., campaign document, award citation, etc.), that verifies entitlement to veterans' preference or that shows length of service, AND that your character of military service is honorable.
  • If you have a service-connected disability, a copy of your Veterans Affairs (VA) letter indicating the combined percentage rating of your disability.
  • Required Documents as indicated on page 2 of the SF-15 to support your claim. NOTE: The SF-15 alone cannot be used to verify eligibility.
Special Hiring Authorities: If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under other noncompetitive special appointing authorities, you MUST submit proof of this eligibility.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You may need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.

Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.

Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

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.

How to Apply

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 12/26/2024. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at rmacklin@blm.gov. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e. you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying. PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:

YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.

INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.

The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.

  1. Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered.
  2. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
  3. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
  4. To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12631007
FOLLOW UP: Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on .

NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Ryan Macklin
Address
BLM Nevada State Office
BLM Nevada State Office
NV-953
1340 Financial Blvd.
Reno, NV 89502
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.