Irrigation System Operator Job in Saint Ignatius, MT

Vacancy No. STIMP-25-12769885-CAWY-AS Department Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Salary $40,332.00 to $52,426.00 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/22/2025 Close Date 8/6/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Saint Ignatius, MT


Summary

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Region, Flathead Irrigation Project in Saint Ignatius, Montana.


These are temporary positions NOT-TO-EXCEED 6 MONTHS. However, the position may be extended up to SIX (6) ADDITIONAL MONTHS WITHOUT FURTHER COMPETITION.

NOTE: THE PAY FLEXIBILITIES OF A RECRUITMENT BONUS, RELOCATION BONUS OR STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT MAY BE AUTHORIZED, PENDING AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND MANAGEMENT APPROVAL

Duties

  • Log all water requests pertaining to operations.
  • Schedule and ensure water delivery to eligible water users.
  • Communicate with water users involving maintenance and water deliver.
  • Resolve water disputes as it pertains to Irrigation operations, maintenance, and water delivery.
  • Repair or replace structures in canals and laterals.
  • Prevent flooding of crops.
  • Clean debris out of the canal to prevent damage to equipment.
  • Maintain equipment usage and repair to prevent flooding of canals.
  • Perform various irrigation duties including dam operations, dam safety and early warning systems with little or no supervision.
  • Plan and schedule work activities for irrigation assignments requiring completion.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
  • You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
  • Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 3 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
  • TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. ANY RELOCATION EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTING FOR DUTY WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE.
  • These are temporary positions NOT-TO-EXCEED 6 MONTHS. However, the positions may be extended up to SIX (6) ADDITIONAL MONTHS WITHOUT FURTHER COMPETITION.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:(OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Technical and Medical Support Positions, GS-0459 and IOR).

GS-5: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level OR 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, if required.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

· Farming or ranching work that provided knowledge of soil and water conservation practices and irrigation procedures used in the geographical area for which application is made.

· Construction, maintenance, or operating work that provided a knowledge of the control, regulation, distribution, and measurement of water.

· Control, clearing, maintaining irrigation ditches, canals, and equipment; or soil conservation or engineering technician work where the duties provided a knowledge of irrigation procedures.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the 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. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION

Additional information

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2025 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Saint Ignatius, Montana. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.

The full performance level of this position is GS-5.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: 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 for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: If applying under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, you must provide documentation to support your eligibility (SF-50) and performance (references and/or performance appraisal). Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.

  • Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.
  • Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period.
SPECIAL APPOINTING AUTHORITY: Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENT: Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

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.

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.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position. Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 08/06/2025 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will then be rated as best qualified, well qualified, or qualified depending on their possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and experience requirements as demonstrated by your responses to the assessment questions.

Competencies measured include:

  • Decision Making
  • Decisiveness
  • Hydrology
  • Oral Communication
  • Technical Competence


We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If the information in your resume does not support your responses to the assessment questions, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your Assessment Questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information, please visit: https://www.bia.gov/jobs.Qualified Indian preference candidates will be referred to the hiring manager in order of veterans' preference.

DUE WEIGHT FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND AWARDS. For Current and Former Federal Employees, due weight will be given for performance and awards. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

REVIEW BEFORE YOU SUBMIT: You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12769885.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for this position:

  • Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc. Important! If your resume does not show complete information for each job entry, your application will be considered incomplete. Specifically:
    • Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
    • Beginning and ending dates (mm/yy) of employment,
    • Work schedule (Full-time or Part-time), and
    • Hours worked per week.
    • For more information see What should I include in my federal resume
  • On-line Assessment Questionnaire
  • Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (Member 4 Copy Only) reflecting an honorable discharge and dates of active duty military service.
  • Special Appointing Authority documentation (if applying under a special hiring authority)
  • BIA Form 4432 The Form BIA-4432 must be completed as stated in the Instructions on the Form and this form with must be submitted with your application for Federal employment (if claiming Indian preference).
  • Performance Appraisal (if applying under the Land Management Flexibility Act)
  • Current & Former Federal Employees. If you are a current career or career-conditional Federal employee OR a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility you must submit the following by the closing date of this announcement, or you will not receive consideration as such:
    • A copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level and step. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade. If you have promotion potential in any of your positions, please provide an SF-50 stating your highest full performance level; and
    • Due Weight for Performance Appraisals and Awards:
      1. Your most recent Performance Appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable); and
      2. If applicable, a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years (i.e., superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.).
Click here for information see Reading your SF-50 to determine your service and appointment type.

VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ACT (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.
f you are applying as a VEOA candidate, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 and your letter from the VA reflecting an honorable discharge and that you either completed three years of active duty service or are a preference eligible. For more information see: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/hiring-officials/strategic-recruitment-and-hiring/#content.

ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted. Please double check your application package before you submit it.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.

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

ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION: To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

  • 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.
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/

PLEASE NOTE - NO APPLICATION MATERIAL WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL.

Agency contact information

BIA Human Resources
Address
BIA Center for Recruitment Anadarko
P.O. Box 1487
Anadarko, OK 73005
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.


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


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