Range Aid/Technician Job

Vacancy No. WYTEMP-25-12531353-MB Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $17.07 to $21.14 Grade 3 to 6
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/4/2024 Close Date 1/6/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Casper, WYCody, WYLander, WYWorland, WY


Summary

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Qualified applicants may be referred as early as 05 November 2024 through 02 January 2025. ALL required documentation must be received at the time you apply, or before 11:59 PM Eastern time of the following cutoff dates to be considered for referral:

  • The established cutoff dates are as follows:
    • 04 November 2023
    • 04 December 2023
    • 04 January 2024

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

  • Assists specialists in planning rangeland management support projects that are without clear precedents or guides.
  • Checks range allotments to assess appropriate time to graze, compliance with management plans and operating instructions, number of livestock, herding procedures, salting, range improvement, and maintenance.
  • Inspects allotments before and after grazing for trespass stock and if found, gathers necessary brands, numbers, dates, and locations. Contacts range users to explain needed maintenance work and reports noncompliance to supervisor.
  • Inspects structural range improvements and notifies supervisor of needed maintenance.
  • Recommends the construction or abandonment of range improvements such as fences, water developments, etc. May lead small crews in construction and/or maintenance of range improvements.
  • Participates in plant control or type conversion by flagging boundaries, operating equipment, carrying out kill studies, or reseeding. Using accepted indicator plants, determines range readiness dates and advises supervisor.
  • Checks allotments before and after grazing season for trespass stock. If trespass stock is found, gathers necessary brands, numbers, dates, locations, etc., and may supervise a crew of riders in gathering and corralling such stock.
  • Performs a variety of computations and assessment of standard rangeland management data to prepare the data for interpretative use of inclusion in reports. Prepares charts, graphs, and/or reports using well-established specified procedures.
  • Notes and reports on conditions such as range utilization, grazing impact, soil erosion, violations, or needed maintenance.
  • Performs computations that require judgment and knowledge of the nature of the sources and use of the data. Estimates production and potential production of a site based on various sampling techniques.
  • Participates in noxious plant control, seeding, or similar projects by flagging boundaries, operating equipment, and carrying out kill studies.
  • Identifies plant specimens in the field and collects and prepares specimens.

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.
  • Some locations may require that you possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.

Qualifications

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Qualified applicants may be referred as early as 05 November 2023 through 05 January 2024. ALL required documentation must be received at the time you apply, or before 11:59 PM Eastern time of the following cutoff dates to be considered for referral:
  • 04 November 2023
  • 04 December 2023
  • 04 January 2024
Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:
  • Driver's License
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.

FOR GS-03: In addition to the individual occupational requirements listed in the education section below, applicants must have six months of general experience such as:
  • Working in any professional, technical, or other responsible field that provided you with a familiarity of range management programs;
  • or techniques of collecting data.
OR 1 year above high school with course(s) related to the occupation;

OR an appropriate combination of experience and education above high school as described above.

FOR GS-04: In addition to the individual occupational requirements listed in the education section below, applicants must have six months of general experience AND six months of specialized at or equivalent to the GS-3.
Examples of General Experience includes:
  • Performed farm/ranch labor, such as feeding and tending livestock or general maintenance of farm/ranch facilities;
  • Cleaned tools and equipment;
  • Worked in a greenhouse or nursery moving, watering, and tending plants and performing other general labor;
  • Worked on a landscape or construction crew;
  • Other work experience, paid or unpaid, that demonstrates an ability to learn and perform the work of this position.
Examples of specialized experience includes:
  • Work in the conservation, regulation, and use of public or federally controlled lands for grazing;
  • Range research activities;
  • Work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public range;
  • Range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
OR 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation;

OR an appropriate combination of experience and education above high school as described above.


FOR GS-05: In addition to the individual occupational requirements listed in the education section below, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-4.
Examples of specialized experience includes:
  • Conducted routine tests and inspections using work methods and techniques that were well-established and common to rangeland management functions;
  • Performed crew-based rangeland management support work such as the installation of boundary and drift fences, water developments, implementation of re-vegetation projects, or the treatment of noxious weeds;
  • Performed procedural assignments in support of rangeland management programs or projects where methods and techniques were well-established.
OR 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation;

OR combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

GS-06: In addition to the individual occupational requirements listed in the education section below, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5).
Examples of specialized experience include:
  • Work in the conservation, regulation, and use of public or Federally controlled lands for grazing;
  • Range research activities;
  • Work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public range;
  • Range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
OR one full year of directly related graduate education;

OR combinations of graduate education and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

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.

Physical Demands: The work ranges from sedentary when completing duties in the office to frequent field work requiring a considerable amount of walking, riding, stooping, bending, and lifting.

Work Environment: Office work is performed in adequately lighted, heated, and air-conditioned offices. Much of the time is spent in the field where exposure to extremes of heat and cold, rough terrain, insects, snakes, and other hazards are common. The employee will carefully adhere to all safety procedures to mitigate hazards encountered.

Education

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above)-

In addition to the experience requirements described in the group coverage standard, Individual Occupational Requirements require the following specialized experience, seasonal experience may also be creditable. A season of experience is considered to be a period of no less than 3 months of continuous employment on a seasonal basis. Shorter periods may be combined to make a season, provided a total of at least 3 months' experience is shown.
For any period where the work exceeded 3 months, the excess work is credited towards an additional season of experience.
2 seasons of experience qualify for GS-3; and 4 seasons of experience qualify for GS-4. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Work in the conservation, regulation, and use of public or Federally controlled lands for grazing.
  • Range research activities.
  • Work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public range.
  • Range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
or

Education and Training-For GS-3: Successful completion of 1 year of study that included at least 6 semester hours in a combination of courses such as range management or conservation, agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, engineering, biology, mathematics, or other natural or physical sciences.

For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable.

For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown above for GS-4. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable.

Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position.

If using education to qualify, 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. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

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.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions are temporary and are expected to last for up to 6 months. These positions have no promotion potential, if you want to be considered for a higher grade you must apply for the higher grade.

If selected from this announcement you may be rehired for identical positions without further competition based on work needs, funding, or any other condition of employment.

If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)?. The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under "internal" merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility, which starts with Question #15 (Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions?).

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:

  • Animal Husbandry
  • Botany
  • Building and Construction
  • Rangeland Management
  • Spatial Orientation
  • Teamwork
  • Technology Application
  • Vehicle Operation

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: If using education to qualify, 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-SO noting current position, grade level and duty location.

Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added do 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 01/06/2025 . If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at 307-775-6178. 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: 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.
  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.
  • 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/12531353

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 01/06/2025. 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

Madison Barber
Address
BLM Wyoming State Office
BLM Wyoming State Office, WY-953
5353 Yellowstone Road
Cheyenne, WY 82009
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.

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


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


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