Summary
Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Supervisory Repayment Specialist. Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.
Duty Location: Willows, California
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals
Duties
The position is in the Water and Lands Division of the Northern California Area Office (NCAO), located at Willows, California. As Chief, Water and Lands Division, you will be responsible for the evaluation, preparation, negotiation, and administration of water service contracts for the sale of water within the area from Shasta Lake to Sacramento, including the Sacramento, Shasta, and Trinity River Divisions of the Central Valley Project. Since enactment of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act in October 1992, Reclamation is charged with the responsibility to implement and administer complex contractual activities. Included among these are: limitation on contracting including contract reform for new contracts and renewal of existing long-term contracts; water transfers; improved water management and conservation; metering of water use requirements; meeting State and Federal water quality standards; water pricing reform; increased revenues including restoration fund payments and budget formulation; use of project facilities for water banking; expansion of contractor service areas; contract assignments; and environmental reviews. Responsible for administration and enforcement of the Reclamation Reform Act (RRA), and administration of those lands owned by the United States that are under the jurisdiction of Reclamation. Oversees the recreation programs at Stony Gorge and East Park Reservoirs. Responsible for meeting contract requirements of metering, measuring, and supplying Federal wildlife refuge water from various Federal water sources including accounting for all Sacramento River deliveries.
-Plans and organizes the work of the Water and Lands Division, furnishing direction and guidance to subordinates to assure the timely, efficient, economical, and adequate accomplishment of objectives and requirements.
-Inspects facilities operated and maintained by the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority to ensure compliance with contract
provisions.
-Responsible for the administration of approximately 200 repayment, water service and loan contracts, and land out grants.
-Responsible for administering the Refuge Water Supply Program for the NCAO including negotiating water service contracts with the Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game for five wildlife refuges.
-Works closely and cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in reviewing applications for water transfers to minimize and eliminate, if possible, any impacts on anadromous fisheries or wildlife habitat.
-Assists with investigations regarding changes in operation of Red Bluff Diversion Dam, Tehama-Colusa Canal, and Orland Project reservoirs to provide environmental and fish and wildlife benefits, and refuge water supplies.
-Provides for resolution of trespasses, processes out grants, and identifies surplus land eligible for disposal along 155 miles of the Corning Canal and Tehama-Colusa Canal, 100 miles of Orland Project canals, and three reservoirs.
-Assigns work, providing priorities and direction to appropriate branches or individuals as required.
-Approves leave, provides on-the-job training, and recommends employees for formal training.
-Ensures equal opportunity for subordinate employees in the selection of participants for training, promotions, awards and recognition, and other career development opportunities.
-Works with the Deputy Area Manager for NCAO in the development, implementation and review of organization and staffing requirements, program schedules, budget estimates, personnel utilization, employee development, cost reduction, and other administrative programs.
-Represents Reclamation at conferences and meetings with other Federal agencies, irrigation districts, local government representatives, recreation organizations, landowners, and others, with respect to construction repayment, water, and land activities, and similarly, in liaison relationships with the California Great Basin (CGB) Regional Office including the Central
Valley Operations Office.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
You must maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times as the position requires operation of government vehicles on government and public roads. Failure to maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times will result in removal from the position.
You will be required to complete a Financial Disclosure Form.
Travel is required approximately 5-10% of the time.
Qualifications
In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.
To qualify at the GS-13, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-12 level in federal service having demonstrated experience which includes the formation, administration or negotiation of water services contracts, project repayment or similar contracts; drafting and preparing contracts and using negotiation strategies to deal with proposed and current contracts; monitoring contractor compliance with terms and conditions; development of technical reports and legal research for water service, distribution systems, and project repayment; experience in the development of organization specific requirements related to water contracting actions.
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 Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 06/24/2024.
Education
This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
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.
Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, his/her on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. Qualified candidates will be assigned a numerical score on a scale of 70-100. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide to the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): - Administration and Management
- Contracting/Procurement
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Managing Human Resources
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 assessment(s), including a technical assessment and a Subject Matter Expert Resume Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12439920
Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position. You must make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than what is apparent in the description of your experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training (or that your resume/application is incomplete), you could be rated ineligible or your score could be lowered.
For evaluating the quality of candidates for referral to the selecting official, a three-phased process will be used.
Required Documents
How you will be evaluated Continued -
Applicant resumes will be reviewed by Human Resources to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements (see definition of specialized experience). If applicants meet basic qualifications and score at least a 90 on the initial phase, they will continue on to the second phase and will be given an interim score based on the applicant assessment questionnaire, which will take the applicant approximately 30 minutes to complete when initially applying. With information received from the applicant assessment questionnaire in the first phase, applicant's will be evaluated on the following Competencies: Administration and Management, Contracting/Procurement, Influencing/Negotiating, and Managing Human Resources
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.
Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.
RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here.
VETERANS: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. If claiming disability preference, you must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15. For more information, click here.
CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.
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
Applications (resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 06/24/2024. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.
Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.
Next steps
Upon successful submission of the application packet, applicants will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If this email confirmation is not received by the applicant, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.
After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.
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