Summary
This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Great Plains Region, Great Plains Regional Office, Deputy Regional Director - Trust Services, Division of Natural Resources, Agricultural Management Section in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units?
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Verification form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. No other documents will be accepted as proof of Indian Preference.
Duties
- Responsible for oversight of the Region's planning, programming, and budgeting for the Rangeland Management program.
- Provides guidance and direction to Agencies and Tribes on the development of rangeland management plans and budget formulation to endure sustainable yield, economic feasibility, and attainment of Bureau and Tribal objectives.
- Serves as the Region's advisor as the senior Rangeland Management Specialist for rangeland management advising the Natural Resources Officer, Regional Director and staff, and Agency Superintendents and staff.
- Interprets national policy and direction for the Regional guidelines, standards, and specifications for the rangeland management program.
- Establishes and maintains cooperative relations with Tribes, Tribal groups/organizations, local and State governmental groups, the other Federal agencies in rangeland management planning, budgeting, innovations, and implementation.
- Reviews encoding, billing, collection, and distribution of grazing rental incomes taking appropriate action and/or making recommendations to correct delinquencies or anomalies.
- Serves as Awarding Official's Technical Representative for Rangeland Management programs and projects in Public Law 93-638 Self-Determination Contracts.
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.
- Incidental Operator position. If you are required to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties, the 25 IAM 4 Motor Vehicle Safety Program Policy applies. A Link is provided in the Additional Information Section.
- STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT MAY BE OFFERED, IF ELIGIBLE, UPON APPROVAL BY THE SELECTING AND BUREAU MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL.
- THE PAY FLEXIBILITIES OF A RECRUITMENT BONUS AND RELOCATION BONUS MAY BE AUTHORIZED, PENDING AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND MANAGEMENT APPROVAL.
Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS (IOR) FOR ALL GS-0454 GRADES:
A. Degree: range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows:
- Range Management-at least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements and ranch or rangeland planning.
- Directly Related Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences-at least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable.
- Related Resources Management Studies-at least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience: at least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: In addition to meeting the basic entry level qualification requirements, applicants must have the following:
GS-11: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, I have at least one (1) year of full-time specialized experience or the equivalent, comparable to at least to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sector). This experience must include 3 of the 4 activities: 1.) Provides guidance, program development and review, and coordination of tribal and bureau resource staff on rangeland management. 2.) Provides recommendations to management after reviewing rangeland management legislation and ensuring proper implementation of policy guidelines. 3.) Utilizes rangeland management programs sufficient in performing overall technical, project assignments, project management and financial management functions connected with existing and new projects across the Region. 4.) Provides necessary technical advice and assistance to Bureau and tribal personnel in the implementation of 25 CFR Part 166, the Indian Agricultural Resources Management Act, the Indian Reorganization Act (P.L.73-383), the Indian Self Determination and Education Act (P.L. 93-638), and the Disaster Relief Act (P.L. 93-288).
OR
Education: Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
GS-12: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, I have at least one (1) year of full-time specialized experience or the equivalent, comparable to at least the GS-11 in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sector). This experience must include 4 of the 5 activities: 1.) Provides and develops guidance, program development and review, and coordination of tribal and bureau resource staff on rangeland management. 2.) Advises management by interpreting rangeland management legislation and ensuring proper implementation of policy guidelines. 3.) Utilizes rangeland management programs sufficient in performing overall technical, project assignments, project management and financial management functions connected with existing and new projects across the Region. 4.) Provides necessary technical advice and assistance to Bureau and tribal personnel in the implementation of 25 CFR Part 166, the Indian Agricultural Resources Management Act, the Indian Reorganization Act (P.L.73-383), the Indian Self Determination and Education Act (P.L. 93-638), the Disaster Relief Act (P.L. 93-288), Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Act, Food Security Act of 1985, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Farm Bills, Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 (P.L. 73-482), Records Management regulations and policies, and basic livestock ownership and husbandry laws. 5.) Working knowledge of Geographical Information Systems technologies and methods related to data development for the purposes of natural resources, Indian trust asset, and land management with an emphasis on rangeland management program.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
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
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.
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 07/02/2024 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Competencies measured include:
- Knowledge Management
- Manages and Organizes Information
- Planning and Evaluating
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.
Qualified Indian preference candidates will be referred to the hiring manager in order of veterans' preference.
Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and awards during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.
You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12432602.
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:
- On-line Assessment Questionnaire
- Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
- Veteran's documentation - (if applicable) VA letter on VA letterhead stating your overall combined rating, SF-15, DD-214 (copy 4) 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 (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; and
-- 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
-- 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.).
If 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/job/shav/index.aspx#veoa.
If you are unable to apply online, require reasonable accommodation in the application process if you are an applicant with a disability, or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
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 résumé 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.
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.
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