Civil Engineer / Agricultural Engineer

Summary

This position is located in a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service State, area, or field office within a designated state.

The incumbent assists the area/zone of similar engineer and is responsible for providing basic technical guidance and in-the overall planning, design, installation, and maintenance of the engineering phases of soil and water conservation practices.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

You may apply if you are a Status Candidate (Merit Promotion, VEOA, Land Management Eligible, FSA perm county employee) and/or a Non-Competitive Hiring Authority Eligible (VRA, 30% Disabled Veteran, Certain Military Spouse, Schedule A, Certain Peace Corps/VISTA Employee/Volunteer, Certain Former Overseas Employee, Foreign Service Employee, CTAP/ICTAP, Interchange Agreement Employee, or you are employed under a Miscellaneous Authority not regulated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.)

Duties

Provides technical guidance and training to personnel on the implementation of Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) for Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs).

Maintains NRCS CNMP planning capacity through plan development and review and Technical Service Provider (TSP) recruitment, training, and retention.

Planning, design, and construction of engineering practices such as animal waste management and other conservation practices needing engineering guidance.

Provides disaster (Fire/Flood) recovery technical assistance including site assessments and outreach.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US Citizen or US National.

Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.

Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.

Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.

Direct Deposit--Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at

Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.

Physical Demands: Some long periods of standing, traversing steep slopes and rough construction sites, bending and stooping, jumping across shallow ditches, walking in soft, muddy and slippery conditions, and lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an office setting. Frequent trips to field sites involve exposure to construction equipment and the environment, and extreme hot and cold.

Qualifications

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-9 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 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.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Basic Education Requirement:

A. Degree: Must have a bachelor's or higher degree in Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by 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

B. Combination of Education and Experience:Must have a 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:

1) 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;

2) 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, and Puerto Rico;

3) 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 the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A;

4) 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. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

(Must submit copy of transcripts and/or licensure and/or proof of passing written test.)

In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered:

MINIMUM 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(s) in which you are applying:

GS-11

Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

1) Assist with the planning, design and construction of engineering practices such as water management, animal waste management, erosion control, flood control and conservation practices needing engineering guidance;

2) Utilize engineering surveying equipment to collect field data;

3) Interpret plans and specification for contractors; and

4) Perform calculations of earthwork, concrete, steel, conduits, and other materials to prepare construction estimates.

OR

Education: Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in civil or agricultural engineering or other engineering field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination: Combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above that totals 100 percent when combined. Only graduate education in excess of two years (i.e., 36 semester hours) may be combined with experience under this standard. When combining education with experience, first determine the qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for this grade level; then determine the experience as a percentage of the experience required for this grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent.

GS-12

Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

1) Assist with the planning, design and construction of engineering practices such as water management, animal waste management, erosion control, flood control and conservation practices needing engineering guidance;

2) Conduct on-site inspections of engineering work for technical adequacy and adherence to standards;

3) Interpret plans and specification for contractors; and

4) Recommend contract modifications and other duties as delegated to contracting officers.

There is no education substitute for minimum qualifications for this position at the GS-12 grade level. 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:

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.

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:

Additional information

This position is open to Competitive Merit Promotion, Non-Competitive, and Special Hiring Authority eligibles. You must meet the requirements for one of the below categories to be eligible.

1. A current permanent competitive service employee; former Federal employee who achieved career status in the competitive service; or former Federal employee who served on a career conditional appointment without achieving career status in the competitive service who was separated less than three years ago. You must submit an SF-50 that reflects career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1). 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.

2. A Veteran applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing an honorable discharge. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. NOTE: Time-in-grade requirements also apply to VEOA applicants having held a GS position in the past year.

3. A 30% or more Disabled Veteran. You must submit your DD214, a completed SF-15, and letter from the VA dated 1991 or later.

4. Military Spouses. You are eligible if: 1) you are the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces; 2) you are the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces who retired or separated with a disability rating of 100 percent; or 3) you are the un-remarried widow or widower of a member of the Armed Forces killed while in active duty status.Please submit supporting documentation to be considered (e.g. active duty orders, marriage verification, SF-15, DD-214, disability letter from VA, etc.

5. Schedule A: USDA welcomes and encourages applicants from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advance on the basis of merit. Documentation of eligibility under Schedule A can be obtained from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e. state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. Territory that issues or provides disability benefits. This letter must be separate from any Veterans Preference documentation.

6. A Former Peace Corps or VISTA Volunteers Appointment. Please submit documentation to be considered.

7. Veterans eligible for a Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA). You must submit a copy of your DD-214. (only applies to positions at the GS-11 level and below).

8. (please see announcement language for applicable authorities)

9. A current or former Land Management Bureau employee who has served at least 24 months under a time-limited competitive appointment who is eligible for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment