Compliance Specialist

This position is assigned to the Idaho State Conservation Compliance Team, State Compliance Coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The primary purpose of the position is to assist the team in conducting annual Food Security Act compliance reviews, processing highly erodible lands and wetland determinations, delivering field level compliance training, and provide agronomic and conservation planning assistance.Qualifications: Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the 05/24/2023 of the announcement.
TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-07 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted). Time-in-grade requirements also apply to VEOA applicants having held a GS position in the past year. See addition information.
Basic Requirement for the GS-0401 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (You must submit transcripts.)
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Basic Requirement for the GS-0457 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. (You must submit transcripts.)
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: At least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. (You must submit transcripts.)
Basic Requirement for the GS-0471 Series:
Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management.(You must submit transcripts.)
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: At least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (You must submit transcripts.)
In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered:
To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, you must meet the following:
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Inputting data for analyses into automated conservation erosion predication tools;
• Generating conservation erosion predication reports;
• Conducting highly erodible lands (HEL) determinations; AND
• Gathering data for the annual Food Security Act for compliance reviews.

OR
Education: Must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: such asagronomy, biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, soil science, soil conservation, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. (You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
OR
Combination: Combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only graduate level education in excess of one year (18 semester hours) may be combined with specialized experience. You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, you must meet the following:
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Conducting quality control review of data entered into automated conservation erosion predication tools;
• Training staff on entering data into and generating reports from automated erosion predication tools;
• Reviewing and issuing highly erodible lands (HEL) determinations; AND
• Conducting Food Security Act compliance reviews.

OR
Education: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, soil science, soil conservation, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. (You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
OR
Combination: Combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only graduate level education in excess of two years (36 semester hours) may be combined with specialized experience. You MUST submit supporting academic transcripts.)
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).
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.
The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-SeriesEducation: 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.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.htmlEmployment Type: FULL_TIME