Summary The incumbent will provide technical leadership and program direction for Forestry related resource assessment, development of conservation planning alternatives and participate in are wide conservation and watershed planning activities, and has responsibility for woodland resource management systems based on NRCS conservation principles. *Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized up to $10,000 per year for 4 years. If approved, service agreement will be required. Responsibilities Serves as a technical expert on current forest establishment, management and harvest techniques in the assigned region. Advises on forestry related research data and reports for use in development of program policy and guidance. Develops and implements conservation plans related to woodland planning and utilization of financial assistance program funding to install forestry related practices in the assigned region. Establishes relationships with professional forestry groups and forestry related partners including State Dept of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife located within the assigned region. Provides conservation planning assistance for use of woody biomass as a renewable energy source and agroforestry practices within the assigned region. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Time in grade: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade. (e.g. one year at the GS-09 grade level for consideration for the GS-11 grade level) OR (e.g. one year at the GS-11 grade level for consideration for the GS-12 grade level). Basic Education Requirement: Degree: forestry; or a related subject-matter field that included a total of at least 30 semester hours in any combination of biological, physical, or mathematical sciences or engineering, of which at least 24 semester hours of course work was in forestry. The curriculum must have been sufficiently diversified to include courses in each of the following areas: Management of Renewable Resources -- study of the science and art of managing renewable resources to attain desired results. Examples of creditable courses in this area include silviculture, forest management operations, timber management, wildland fire science or fire management, utilization of forest resources, forest regulation, recreational land management, watershed management, and wildlife or range habitat management. Forest Biology -- study of the classification, distribution, characteristics, and identification of forest vegetation, and the interrelationships of living organisms to the forest environment. Examples of creditable courses in this area include dendrology, forest ecology, silvics, forest genetics, wood structure and properties, forest soils, forest entomology, and forest pathology. Forest Resource Measurements and Inventory -- sampling, inventory, measurement, and analysis techniques as applied to a variety of forest resources. Examples of creditable courses include forest biometrics, forest mensuration, forest valuation, statistical analysis of forest resource data, renewable natural resources inventories and analysis, and photogrammetry or remote sensing. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in forestry, or at least 30 semester hours in any combination of biological, physical, or mathematical sciences or engineering, of which at least 24 semester hours were in forestry. The requirements for diversification of the 24 semester hours in forestry are the same as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience must include work that involved data management using computer-based software; collecting and analyzing scientific data such as soils and vegetation; and interpreting this data to address landscape conservation issues. Examples of specialized experience include: Assist in the development of protocols and methodologies for the systematic inventory and classification of plant communities within the framework of existing and ongoing soil surveys and other inventory activities; and/or Develop ecological site descriptions, using databases such as Ecological Site Information System (ESIS) and National Soil Information Systems (NASIS); and/or Work in an interdisciplinary setting with other technical disciplines to analyze and address resource management issues on private, non-commercial forest lands. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-11 level: three year(s) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph. D degree or Ph. D or equivalent doctoral degree in forestry, or any combination of biological, physical, or mathematical sciences or engineering; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience must include work that involved data management using computer-based software; collecting and analyzing scientific data, such as soils and vegetation, and interpreting this data to address landscape conservation issues. Examples of specialized experience include: Develop complex protocols and methodologies for the systematic inventory and classification of plant communities within the framework of existing and ongoing soil surveys and other inventory activities; and/or Provide technical leadership on the development of ecological site descriptions, using databases such as Ecological Site Information System (ESIS) and National Soil Information Systems (NASIS); and/or Collecting new data or synthesize existing data to develop woodland, farmstead, feedlot and field windbreak management prescriptions and/or conservation plans on private, non-commercial forest lands; and/or Work in an interdisciplinary setting with other technical disciplines to analyze and participate in the implementation of resource management issues on private, non-commercial forest lands. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/forestry-series-0460/ 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. 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. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information. Additional Information This position is being concurrently announced under Delegated Examining Announcement Number: NRCS-24-12268649. This announcement is open to all qualified candidates. Applying to both announcements may expand the possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Physical Demands: A considerable amount of physical activity is required while making on the ground examinations or inspections of on-going operations, including walking and climbing over rough terrain. The employee may operate a motor vehicle. Work Environment: The work involves regular and recurrent exposure to the operation of agricultural or forestry equipment. Work is sometimes done under adverse conditions; such as, snow and icy field conditions, and unimproved roads, and includes exposure to poisonous plants and irritating insects. Protective equipment is necessary on construction and actively managed forest sites. May be required to travel by A TV, boat snow machine, small aircraft, or helicopter as part of the travel requirements for this position. PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following: If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted. If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor. Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.