KEY REQUIREMENTS



• U.S. Citizen or National (American Samoa or Swains Island)
• Suitable for Federal Employment, determined by Background Investigation
• NRCS Utilizes e-Verify to identify and determine employment eligibility
• Positive Education required with specialized experience- See Qualifications
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered with Selective Service
• Valid Motor Vehicle Operators License

• Develop conservation plans for the NRCS field office(s) within the American Samoa service area as assigned by the Pago Pago Field Office District Conservationist. Activities include conducting planning activities associated with Farm Bill programs, area-wide planning, developing conservation plans including comprehensive nutrient management plans (CNMPs) and basic survey and design for engineering practices.
• Provides technical assistance and training to other planners in NRCS field offices within the assigned counties for conservation planning activities.
• Assists the District Conservationist in implementing conservation planning quality assurance in assigned NRCS field offices. As a Certified Conservation Planner, the incumbent certifies conservation plans and components of plans written by non-certified planners.
• Attains and maintains planner certification, CNMP certification, and identified specialist certifications as defined and in the Pacific Islands Area Conservation Planning Policy.
• Assists with implementing the conservation planning certification policy for the Pacific Islands Area including providing training to planners to obtain certification. Assist with the development of conservation planning related technical guidance and information for use by all NRCS field personnel and inter agency partners. Activities include assisting in the development of NRCS Field Office Technical Guide materials and Pacific Islands Area Technical Notes and also providing training to field office personnel on the use of the materials.
• The incumbent serves as a member of issues or task-related teams as required and functions as a team member to perform the targeted task. Promotes and participates in a multi-disciplinary team approach to technology development, technical assistance, and problem solving. Provides input and feedback in team discussions in a professional manner. The incumbent informs the supervisor of significant progress or difficulties encountered in accomplishing program objectives and alerts the supervisor when a sensitive issue appears.
• With guidance from the District Conservationist, the incumbent is required to establish and independently schedule work priorities consistent with field office business plan, the state business plan and the Pacific Islands Area strategic plan. The incumbent plans and independently completes the assigned work devising effective actions, which resolve barriers and obstacles to implementation of natural resource conservation programs.
• Represents the Service at conferences or on committees for technical programs for which responsibility is assigned. Participates in the information program including making presentations, and writes articles related to these Service activities. Actively supports and follows the philosophy, policies, and principles established by the agency.
• Maintains an awareness and positive attitude toward equal opportunity and civil rights. Cooperates in carrying out affirmative action efforts within range of responsibility. Civil rights responsibilities include the obligation to cooperate with and assist the public/individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, reprisal, political beliefs or marital or family status. Other duties as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position has a positive education requirement. You must submit a legible copy of your college transcripts in order to be considered. Your transcript (may be an unofficial copy) must include credit hours, degree and major(s). Education cannot be waived; if you do not meet the educational requirement you will not be given consideration beyond the initial review.

To meet the Basic Requirements for this position, you must have:

A. Bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study (including 300 and 400 level courses) in Soil Conservation or a related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education or agricultural engineering that includes 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, 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.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours in one of more of the disciplines as shown in A above, including as 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.

Note: Partial credit for courses cannot be given.

If you have course work which you feel helps you meet the educational qualifications that is not clearly evident from the course titling on your transcript, you must include a course description photocopied from your catalog so we can understand the course.  If we cannot determine, from the materials submitted, that a class meets the requirements listed above, we will not credit that class and you may be rated as ineligible for this position.

If you wish to have education acquired outside or the United States credited for the education requirements of this position, you must prove that it has been evaluated as equivalent to the education gained in accredited United States colleges and universities. Submit documentation of your education from a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials for a determination. The Council on Post Secondary Accreditation may be of assistance in providing information on these organizations: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. The processing of the job opportunity announcement will not be delayed pending receipt of your evaluation materials.

To be eligible for the grade of GS-11, in addition to the basic requirement, the applicant must possess one of the following:

Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include providing technical guidance and assistance such as soil interpretations, erosion control and water quality recommendation to groups and individuals with planning responsibilities; communicating and sharing general information and explaining issues related to soil and water conservation issues, problems and solutions to groups of rural and community landowners, residents and agribusiness representatives. Devising technical modifications and extensions of soil and water conservation methods and techniques; managing watershed projects, developing and implementing short and long range individual and group conservation plans including complex conservation project measures.

Credit will be given for appropriate qualifying experience (paid/unpaid) or volunteer work. To receive proper credit for experience or volunteer work, fully describe your responsibilities and show the actual time, dates and hours per week spent in such activities (i.e. 3/1/2002 through 5/9/2006, 40 hours per week).  If we cannot determine, from the materials submitted, that you have the full amount of qualifying experience, you may be rated as ineligible for this position.

Additional Qualifications:

• Possess a valid Driver's License (at the time of your appointment).
• Possess a valid U.S. Passport (prior to your appointment), if relocating to American Samoa.
• You will be required to travel, 1-5 nights per month.
• You will be required to serve a probationary period for 1 year, if you haven't already completed one. 

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

As part of the application process, applicants will be required to complete and submit an occupational questionnaire. To preview the questions and determine if your experience matches the skills required for this position, click the following link: View Assessment Questions.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. If you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for this position, you will be rated on your possession of the competencies. Based on the extent and quality of your experience (paid and unpaid), education, and training in relation to these competencies, you will be placed into one of the following three categories and only those in the Best Qualified category will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration.

Best Qualified - Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level of possession of all competencies.

Well Qualified - Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of possession of the competencies.

Qualified - Applicants meets the basic eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, but do not meet the definition of Well-Qualified or Best Qualified describe above.

Application of Veterans Preference for Delegated Examining: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veterans preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable 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-9 level or higher.

If materials are not received, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. All the information you provide may be verified by a review of your resume and questionnaire responses. Background checks, reference checks and other means, such as the interview process may be used to validate eligibility and scoring. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for lowering your application score, not hiring you or for removal after employment begins.

Working for NRCS offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Additionally NRCS offers FlexiWork, Telework, Transportation Subsidies and a family friendly work environment. The following Web address is provided for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees. To find out more click here http://www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp.

OTHER INFORMATION:

In addition to salary, eligible employees also receive 25% Post Differential. Post Differential pay is subject to Federal income tax and is not calculated as salary for retirement purposes.

Important information for surplus or displaced Federal employees: The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have been notified in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP/CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well-qualified your application must rate at or above 85. You must annotate in your application that you are applying as an ICTAP/CTAP eligible. Please provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP/CTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Information about ICTAP/CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your résumé and submit documents to support your claim. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the Human Resources Office.

• In order to verify your veterans' preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (i.e. documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
• In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or a natural mother of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a signed and dated Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-point Veteran Preference," and the other required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.

Although veterans' preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated," veterans' preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified. In addition, qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more are placed at the top of the highest quality category (i.e. Best Qualified), except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959 , you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

Background Investigation: A background investigation will be required for all new appointments. Your continued employment will be subject to your successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination

E-Verify: Employer participates in E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

Probationary Period: If appointed on first competitive appointment or appointment in new line of work selectee is subjected to 12-month probationary period and can be removed for performance, budget, suitability, background review or other reasons.

Reference Checks may be conducted prior to any interviews being conducted. By applying for this announcement you are giving consent for these reference checks. Checks may include current supervisor, prior supervisor or others in line of sight within previously held positions.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume (maximum of 10 pages)
2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
3. Copy of your college education transcript(s)
4. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section below)

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, December 23, 2011.

Please note: You are allowed 10 pages for your resume. Any resume pages in excess of the 10 pages will not be included in your application package. Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number and at least your last four digits of your social security number. Unsolicited materials, such as copies of position descriptions and publications will not be considered in the review process.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previously saved or incomplete application, you may use the following link: https://applicationmanager.gov/.

If you upload your documents using Application Manager, DO NOT FAX the same documents. To verify uploaded documents have been processed, please wait one hour to ensure they have cleared the virus scan. You can verify that your uploaded documents are attached to your application by checking the Details tab of your Application Manager account https://applicationmanager.gov/ for this vacancy announcement. Your documents will display under the Details tab in the Document area. To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following Vacancy ID 574249. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

If you cannot apply online:

1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire
2. Print this 1203FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf, and
3. Fax the completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 1-478-757-3144. Your 1203FX will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission.

Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process. To fax documents, you MUST use the special cover page. Print the pre-populated cover page on the upload documents screen of Application Manager. Or, you may click this link http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf to print a copy of the cover page. When faxing documents, follow the procedures outlined below. Include the 8-character Vacancy Identification Number 574249. Provide your Social Security Number and full name in the spaces provided or we will not be able to associate your document(s) with the rest of your application. You may submit multiple documents for the same vacancy announcement using one cover page. Fax your cover page and documents to 1-478-757-3144.

Faxed documents submitted with missing information will not be processed. The following will prevent your documents from being processed:

• Not using the special cover page mentioned above
• Missing, incomplete, or invalid Vacancy Identification Number
• Missing or incomplete Social Security Number or name

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents are required:

• Resume (maximum of 10 pages)
• Responses to the questionnaire
• Transcripts to support Education requirements, unofficial copies are acceptable (See the Qualifications section for details)
• SF-15, if applicable
• Veterans Preference documentation (DD-214, SF-15, Other Veterans Documents)
• Other, if applicable (Performance Appraisal-dated within the last 15 months, OF 306, other applicable documents)

To submit the documents requested follow the options listed above. Your resume or curriculum vitae to describe your job-related qualifications can be submitted electronically using the document upload process or by fax. Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number and at least your last four digits of your social security number.

The required items for all applicants are: resume, responses to the online questionnaire and college transcript(s); plus depending on your situation:

ICTAP/CTAP applicants must submit applicable documentation, to include 1) a copy of your separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; 2) a copy of an SF-50 showing your current/previous position, grade promotion potential and duty location; and 3) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. (See Benefits and Other Information section for details)

Military Veteran applicants must submit a DD-214 form or Statement of Service and a Standard Form (SF) 15 and a Veterans Affair's Disability Rating letter, if applying as a Disabled Veteran. (See Benefits and Other Information section for details)

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once your Occupational Questionnaire and resume have been received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All information provided may be verified by a careful review of your resume, questionnaire responses, reference check, background check, and/or verification of education. After a qualification review of your complete application package, you will be notified of the status of your application. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for consideration. A job offer is typically made within 45 days after the deadline for applications. You can track the progress of your application package in Application Manager at https://ApplicationManager.gov/.