Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger) Job

Vacancy No. CERK245114135206HW Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $39,576.00 to $77,955.00 Grade 5 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/8/2024 Close Date 11/19/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Ponca City, OKSand Springs, OK


Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for certain personnel of the DOD to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: This is a Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger) GS-0401-05/07/09 position for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Southwestern Division, Tulsa District, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Duty location will be at Sand Springs OK.

Note: Management may select at any grade level.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

US Citizens

Duties

  • Serve as a uniformed ranger with designation as an Officer of the United States for the purpose of enforcing pertinent regulations and laws.
  • Patrols the project areas, operating a boat or motor vehicle, to observe and check compliance with regulatory and administrative requirements.
  • Long and short-range planning, administration, coordination and management of various project activities (i.e. of environmental stewardship, recreation, park administration, public relations, visitor assistance, and public safety).
  • Plans and executes natural resources analyses pertaining to forest management (including disease and insect control), wildlife management, natural, cultural, and historical resource interpretation, and public safety hazards.
  • Inspects dam and appurtenant structures and equipment using standard inspection checklists supporting Flood Risk Management requirements.
  • Assist with park maintenance activities.
  • Makes various personal contacts to explain policies and regulations to project visitors and to guide public recreation users on natural resources values and responsibility for land stewardship.
  • Plans, promotes, and presents visitor information programs, such as environmental awareness programs, water safety programs, wildlife observation, and volunteer opportunities.
  • Prescribes and implements resource management actions that promote biodiversity and native species re-establishment.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • A valid state-issued driver's license is required for this position.
  • This position is covered by the Civilian Drug Abuse Testing Program.
  • Participation in a two year Park Ranger Training program is required.
  • This is a uniformed position and all employees will be expected to maintain all uniform and personal appearance standards per U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations.
  • Must be able to maintain Corps of Engineers certification for Citation Authority.
  • Must be able to maintain required Corps of Engineers certification for operation of a motorboat.
  • This position will require the incumbent to work weekends and holidays as necessary.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

To qualify for the GS-05 you must meet one of the following:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent degree or have completed a full four year course of study leading to such a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

To qualify for the GS-07 you must meet one of the following:

One year of specialized experience performing the following: 1.) Patrolling project lands and waters to prevent unauthorized use, trespassing, and destruction of property; AND 2.) participating in natural resources activities, such as fish/wildlife management, forestry/vegetation management, soil/water conservation, or fire protection. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service, GS-05.
OR
Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

To qualify for the GS-09, you must meet one of the following:

One year of specialized experience performing the following: 1.) Implementing natural resource management actions involving fish/wildlife, forestry/vegetation management, range land/soil conservation, or water/fire protection; AND 2.) Develop agricultural lease program to protect fish, wildlife, vegetation, or water resources. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service, GS-07.
OR
Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Natural Resource Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Program Outreach
  • Project Management


In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the basic education requirement listed below:

Education

Basic Requirement for Natural Resource Specialist:
A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a CP 16 Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.
  • Serves as an incidental motor vehicleoperator.
  • Operates an automobile, light truck, ATV or motorboat to accomplish assigned duties.

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 announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/19/2024 to receive consideration

  • 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12605206).
  • 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
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/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
RK-W2SU05 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT TULSA
DO NOT MAIL
Tulsa, OK 74121
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


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


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