Interdisciplinary Forester/Civil Engineer

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Duties

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

The work of this Interdisciplinary Forester/Civil Engineer position involves design, survey, preparation and administration of timber sale road construction, service, supply contracts, forest sale planning, forest timber sale preparation and administration, and road right-of-way assignments.

At the GS-7 level, the individual in the position performs a variety of less complex assignments in the engineering and/or forestry programs.

At the GS-9 and GS-11 level, the individual will plan and implement technical projects and will carry out duties in support of engineering and forestry orientated, multiple-use land management programs, including coordination of appropriate staff to accomplish the work. The Interdisciplinary Forester/Civil Engineer will often serve as a team member with other forest engineers, or foresters involved in routine forest engineering, or forest management work.

This work is critical to the successful accomplishment of the Field Office's long-range engineering and forest management programs, meeting the objectives of the Resource

Management Plan (RMP), and providing solutions for technical, budgetary, staffing, and

customer service needs related to engineering and forest management.

Major Duties fall into these specific areas: Project and timber sale planning Environmental Assessment preparation Logging System Specialist Project Design and Survey of Timber Sale Road Construction and Service Contracts Contract Preparation Contract Admin ROW and other Road use permits

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• May be required to complete background investigation.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents) prior to the closing date of this announcement.
• 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.
• Status applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements.
• You may be required to occasionally travel overnight away from home. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.
• 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.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must be eligible to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You are required to possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
• Must be able to meet Contracting Officer's Representative III and Project Inspector level IV standards within a reasonable timeframe.
  
  

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this Interdisciplinary position, you must meet BOTH the Basic and Additional qualification 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.

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT For The 0460 Series

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included the following major field of study and specific course requirements as stated below:

• 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 -- 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 -- 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 -- 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.
  
  

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT For The 0810 SeriesIn addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

• Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); OR (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR
• Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
• Professional registration or licensure - Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
• Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration, by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.
• Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.
• Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.
  
  

ADDITIONAL 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-07

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sector) performing 3 or more of the following:(1) assisting on routine forestry/engineering data collection or analysis; (2) drafting portions of contracts, planning documents, or reports; (3) utilizing engineering/forestry equipment or automated systems to complete assigned work; (4) assisting senior foresters/engineers in performing supply, construction, engineering, or logging operation inspections. OR

Education: Successful completion of at least 1 year of graduate level education. This education must demonstrate possession of the knowledges, skills and abilities to perform the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education. OR

Superior Academic Achievement: Meet the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement by earning a bachelor's degree with at least one of the following: (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher based on a 4.0 scale; (2) a 3.5 GPA or higher for required courses completed in a major field of study during junior and senior year of a 4-year college or university; (3) class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or a major subdivision of the college, such as the College of Liberal Arts, based on completed courses; or (4) membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies. You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.

Education

Gs-09

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sector) performing 3 or more of the following: (1) providing technical guidance or training to junior foresters, civil engineers, or engineering technicians in performing engineering/forestry related duties; (2) preparing construction, service, supply, silviculture, or timber sale contracts to accomplish resource management objectives; (3) conducting field surveys, facility inspections, or engineering investigations for project planning; (4) designing projects for engineering or forest management programs. OR

Education: Successful completion of at least 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. This education must demonstrate possession of the knowledges, skills and abilities to perform the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education. OR

Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience. To calculate your combined amount, first determine the amount of your specialized experience as a percentage of the requirement listed in A above. Then determine the amount of your education as a percentage of the requirement listed in B above; then add the two percentages. 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.

Gs-11

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one 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 sector) performing 3 or more of the following: (1) leading an interdisciplinary team supporting engineering/forestry programs; (2) evaluating construction, service, supply, silviculture, or timber sale contract requirements and/or operations; (3) planning or designing forest road maintenance, reconstruction, or construction projects; (4) resolving technical, budgetary, staffing, or customer service issues related to engineering and/or forest management. OR

Education: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. This education must demonstrate possession of the knowledges, skills and abilities to perform the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education. OR

Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience. To calculate your combined amount, first determine the amount of your specialized experience as a percentage of the requirement listed in A above. Then determine the amount of your education as a percentage of the requirement listed in B above; then add the two percentages. 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. OR

Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience. To calculate your combined amount, first determine the amount of your specialized experience as a percentage of the requirement listed in A above. Then determine the amount of your education as a percentage of the requirement listed in B above; then add the two percentages. 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.

Status merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible.

One year at the GS-05 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 level.

One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level.

One year at the GS-09 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level.

(Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

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".

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.

Additional information

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.

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.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: 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.

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.

• Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  
  

Physical Demands: Field work is physically demanding. The lead forest engineer must be capable of extended periods of walking and working in rough mountainous terrain, extremely dense brush, logging slash, and ground that are either wet or covered in snow. In this environment, the incumbent must possess strength, stamina, and agility to successfully complete field work. Indoor office work necessitates long hours of sitting, intense concentration, telephone conversations, operating computer terminals, and attending meetings and trainings. Work requires the ability to effectively cope with pressure associated by both fixed and irregular deadlines and managing multiple priorities.

Working Conditions: Work is routinely performed in a properly heated/cooled indoor office setting and outdoors that may include extremely hot/cold/windy/dry/wet/snowy weather in rugged terrain, remote sites, poison oak, bees and hornets, snakes, logging and construction sites and occasionally at public meetings. The position requires operation of motor vehicles on narrow mountainous roads. Protective gear is necessary for field work.

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• Help Help 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.
  
  

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.

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 [email protected] or 816-541-8101.

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 resume review and/or a panel interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

You Will Be Evaluated On The Following Competencies

• Civil Engineering
• Forest Management
• Planning and Evaluating
• Project Management
• Technical Competence
  
  

Candidates Not Eligible To Apply Under Merit Promotion 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.
  
  

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Non-Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.