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Form of workThe position is in an urban service area(s), located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), State Conservationist's Office within the State Soil Scientist staff.
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-12 grade level for consideration for the GS-13 grade level).
Basic Education Requirement:
Degree: Soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.; OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified 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 for the GS-11 level: 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
- Providing technical guidance and assistance on routine topics pertaining to: soil genesis, geomorphology, classification, correlations, interpretations, soil-landscape relations, soil climate, and soil management systems;
- Conducting on-site soil investigations and/or mapping to collect and analyze data on soil characteristics (physical, chemical, and biological), geology, and geomorphology to assist customers;
- Collaborating and/or assisting in the development and delivery of soil training to technical and non-technical audiences in collecting soil samples, interpreting soil data, and interpreting/explaining soil lab analyzes on soil properties (chemical, physical, and biological). 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 for the GS-12 level: 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:
- Providing technical guidance and assistance on complex topics pertaining to: soil genesis, geomorphology, classification, correlations, interpretations, soil-landscape relations, soil climate, and soil management systems to address complex issues;
- Leading on-site soil investigations/assessments and/or mapping to collect and analyze data on soil characteristics (physical, chemical, and biological), geology, and geomorphology to assist customers;
- Developing and delivering soil and soil management training to technical and non-technical audiences in collecting soil samples, interpreting soil data, and interpreting/explaining soil lab analyses on soil properties (chemical, physical, and biological);
- Expertise in the use of soil technology transfer tools (e.g., Web Soil Survey, Soil Data Access, R Studio, Survey123, or similar systems).
Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Soil Science Series 0470 (opm.gov)
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:If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. 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. 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.
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.
Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.Employment Type: FULL_TIME
