Summary
Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.
This position is located in Glasgow, MT (preferred), Malta, MT or Havre, MT. Information about Montana and the surrounding area can be found at Glasgow, MT or Malta, MT or Havre, MT.
We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.
Duties
- Selection at the GS-07 or GS-09 level, the incumbent will perform the duties of the position, with a reduced level of responsibility and/or difficulty, while receiving on-the-job trainee assignments or other appropriate training.
- Serves as the riparian lead in Interdisciplinary Team processes for land management planning and watershed assessment processes.
- Provides riparian, hydrologic and water quality input into land use planning efforts and NEPA documents.
- Plans, schedules and collects various hydrologic stream channel and climactic data in the field to assess the baseline watershed condition or support projects or monitoring activities.
- Designs, develops and oversees implementation of riparian habitat projects that will benefit riparian habitat, water quality or saline seep problems.
- Designs, analyzes and evaluates data involving surface and ground water flow and sediment or pollutant transport; identifies trends in movement of water and any known contaminants; and provides reports or feedback on anomalies.
- Applies a variety of hydrologic models to generate information on stream flows and duration, riparian and channel behavior, and water quality parameters or concerns; provides technical advice on water rights applications and claims.
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.
- An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
- 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.
In addition to the Basic Requirements, described in the education section, you must have specialized experience, as described below.
Specialized Experience:
GS-07: In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: 1) Collecting, analyzing and evaluating of riparian and water resource data, 2) participating on interdisciplinary teams in the development of long-range objectives, 3) monitoring water quality data and development of trend analyses for informing land management actions.
-OR-
Education: Successfully completed 1 year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in soil science, environmental science, watershed or restoration ecology, range/plant science, natural resources and rangeland ecology, watershed management, land resources, geology or directly-related field.
- OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
-OR-
Superior Academic Achievement in a bachelor's degree a curriculum directly related to the work of the position. To qualify for superior academic achievement, you must have ONE of the following: (1) standing in the upper third of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; (2) grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) B+ (3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed in a related discipline, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; OR (4) election to membership in one of the national honorary scholastic societies that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Society. (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.
GS-09: In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: 1) Collecting of riparian, hydrologic and water quality data as well as data on the effects of multiple use management on the riparian and water resources. 2) participating on interdisciplinary teams in the development of long-range objectives, formulating alternative management strategies, evaluating impacts, and recommending actions for resource management in the area, 3) initiating, planning, and implementing of administrative and technical functions of a riparian and water program.
-OR-
Education: Successfully completed 2 years of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in soil science, environmental science, watershed or restoration ecology, range/plant science, natural resources and rangeland ecology, watershed management, land resources, geology or directly related field.
- OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
GS-11: In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: 1) completing or directing the collection, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of riparian and water resource data, 2) participating as an interdisciplinary team member/team leader in the development of long-range objectives, formulating alternative management strategies, evaluating impacts and recommending actions for resource management in the area, and 3) providing best management practice recommendations for the protection of water quality for the forestry, rangeland management, recreation, and minerals programs.
-OR-
Education: Successfully completed 3 year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in soil science, environmental science, watershed or restoration ecology, range/plant science, natural resources and rangeland ecology, watershed management, land resources, geology or directly-related field.
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.
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 by the closing date of the announcement.
***Note: Your resume must indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you may be found ineligible.
Physical Demands: The individual works partly in an office setting at this level, and partly in the field. Office work is mentally demanding. Field work requires gathering samples and other data, monitoring and inventory activities, and participation in project work. In his/her field capacity, the individual
will be required to walk or ride vehicles over rough terrain, perform duties that require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, wading, digging, climbing, and lifting. Travel to the other Field Offices will be required and is routine, which results in extensive highway driving.
Work Environment: The work of the incumbent is performed partly in an office setting and partly in the field. When necessary to complete the work, there is outdoor exposure. In support of work duties, the incumbent may occasionally lift up to 50lbs. Outdoor exposure requires some discomfort in
extremes of temperature or inclement weather. The incumbent may be subjected to hostile wildlife, chemical and physical hazards.
The land can be steep and rocky with a variety of trees, shrubs, and riparian vegetation. The work will be completed on foot or with a variety of vehicles. Some of the watershed information gathering may require the incumbent to work in the waters of rivers and streams for several hours. The assignments may include working alone for several days at a time. A portion of the work involves standard office work such as writing, developing graphs and charts, as well as analyzing data collected.
Education
Basic Education Requirements: This position has a positive education requirement. You must have a degree in one of the following disciplines:
For Natural Resources Series, 0401:
A degree in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major.
OR
Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, as shown in 0401 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
For Physical Science Series, 1301:
A degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
OR
Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors, as shown in 1301 above, that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
For Hydrology Series, 1315:
A degree in Physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical science, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, or soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work may have included at least 6 semester hours in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours in physics. Calculus and physics, as described above, are requirements for all grade levels.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience:Course work, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. In the absence of water resource experience, professional scientific experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience.
Applicants must meet A or B above to satisfy the basic education requirement. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope, and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in A above.
You must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution See Foreign Education.
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. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category 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:
- Ecology
- Hydrology
- Problem Solving
- Research
- Technical Competence
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), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk
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: 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.
Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit a copy of your DD-214, 'Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,' (Member 4 copy is preferred), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service (must be honorable) OR written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit documentation that supports your claim as shown on the back of the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. SF-15.
If you are claiming Sole Survivorship Veterans' Preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference.
Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/special-hiring-authorities/.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or interagency 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 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 09/23/2024. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at blm_mt_apply@blm.gov or 406-896-5233. 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.
- Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered.
- You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
- The eligibility portion of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You may choose more than one eligibility. You must provide proof of your eligibility and will only be considered for the questions that you answer "yes".
- Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
- To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12517058
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account ( Welcome | Login.gov), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
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 09/23/2024. 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.
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.
More than one position may be filled from this announcement, at the discretion of Federal hiring officials. Department of the Interior may share the list of eligible candidates with other Federal agencies/departments, authorized to appoint new employees under the same hiring procedures if the position is in the same: job series, grade level, promotion potential, and in the same geographic locations (including the same metro/commuting area) provided herein. You will have the opportunity to "opt-in" to appear on a shared list. "Opt-in" does not guarantee your application will be shared, but you will be contacted in the event your application is shared.
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