Realty Specialist Job

Vacancy No. BLM-NM-24-12362926-DE-OPM Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $72,553.00 to $95,310.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/30/2024 Close Date 5/17/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Farmington, NMLas Cruces, NMSanta Fe, NM


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

These positions are located in Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Farmington field offices for the Bureau of Land Management.


This position is concurrently open to Merit Promotion eligibles under Announcement Number BLM-NM-24-123629267-MP-OPM.

Salary Range:
Santa Fe, NM: $73,317 - $95,310
Farmington and Las Cruces, NM: $72,553 - $94,317

Duties

These positions are located in Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Farmington field offices for the Bureau of Land Management. The focus of these positions will be on renewable energy or FAST 41 projects. The employee is responsible for exercising technical expertise in a wide variety of complex land and realty transactions which may include all or several of the following areas: lands and realty case work, planning systems, compliance, environmental analysis, and budget.

The employee in this position is considered an experienced technical expert in the Lands and Realty Program. This individual has an advanced knowledge of the Bureau's Lands Program including, statutes, regulations, judicial decisions, solicitor opinions, and Departmental and Bureau decisions, policies, and procedures. Using that advanced knowledge and experience, the specialist independently leads or individually gathers, analyzes, and processes information, and makes defensible recommendations on a wide variety of complex and controversial lands and realtor actions including rights-of-ways, communication site, land acquisition and disposal, Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) actions, patents, exchanges, permits, leases, withdrawals, and trespass.

  • Determine land ownership and status, processes patents, reviews applications, and establishes and maintains case files for a wide variety of land and realty actions.
  • Prepare or request required reports and assessments that consider all issues such as cadastral survey, hazardous materials, appraisals, cultural input, mineral, title, grant authorizations, decision letters, and enforceable terms and conditions.
  • Work to ensure customers' needs are met, even when those needs are outside of the typical role of the position.
  • Make convincing, articulate, and accurate oral presentations using non-verbal and vocal qualities that support the verbal spoken message.
  • Work with internal and external teams and partners to achieve mutual goals, resolve issues, find compromise and solve complex problems.
  • Lead or individually gathers, analyzes, and processes information, and makes defensible recommendations on a wide variety of complex and controversial lands and realty actions including rights-of-ways, communication sites, land acquisition and disposal, Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) actions, exchanges, permits, leases, withdrawals, and trespass.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • May be required to complete background investigation and drug screening.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • Santa Fe, NM: This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 340.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month.
  • You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

GS-11
A. Specialized Experience:
Applicant must have one (1) full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) leading complex and controversial lands and realty actions including rights-of-ways, communication sites, land acquisition and disposal, or other use authorizations; (2) investigating or reporting unlawful closure of public lands, trespassing, or noncompliance of stipulations; (3) assisting other personnel in developing environmental assessments for lands program proposed actions; (4) providing information and application procedures to the public on complex realty program issues.
-OR-
B. Education: Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree (Ph.D.) or LL.M., from an accredited college or university, if related in business administration, public administration or policy, and land use planning. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education).
-OR-
C. Combination: Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. (To combine education and experience, first determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. (NOTE: Only units in excess of the first two years (36 semester hours or the master's level) may be used to meet the educational requirement.) Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.) (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Volunteer Experience: 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 include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

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.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: 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.

Additional information

Physical Demands:
The work is split between sedentary and physical. Because the employee may lead or often conduct on-site examinations, there is some walking, standing, bending, and requiring normal physical exertion. Onsite visits require physical ability to traverse remote rough country by cross country vehicle or by foot, sometimes in extreme climatic conditions to conduct field inspections. The field duties of this position require that the employee operate four-wheel drive vehicles on and off roads in isolated areas.

Working Conditions:
The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. The work environment varies from an office setting to working outside in isolated areas under adverse weather conditions. The employee usually works alone while in the field. Temperatures in the field vary from minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Work in the office will generally be at a desk. The employee will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact San Antonio Services Branch at SASBMailbox@opm.gov or 816-541-8101.

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.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.

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 additional assessments, including a subject matter expert resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Customer Service
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Self-Direction
  • Technical Competence

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/15/2024.

  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
  2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
  3. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
  4. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
  • Veterans Preference Documentation:
    • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
    • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
    • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
    5. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 90 on the rating criteria for this position.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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 occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/15/2024. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

  1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
  2. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
  3. Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
  4. Select documents you want included in this application.
  5. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
  6. Select if you want to include your demographic information.
  7. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
  8. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
  9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
    • Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
  10. Review and Submit Application.
  11. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
  12. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
    • To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
    • Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

San Antonio Services Branch

Address

BLM New Mexico State Office
BLM New Mexico, NM-951
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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.