Soil Conservation Technician

Minimum Qualification Requirement: 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: NOTE TO APPLICANTS: The GS-0458 Soil Conservation Technician series is a technical position. Education is not a requirement for this position; however, this series allows individuals without experience in this field to substitute education in lieu of experience. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Specialized/General Experience: To qualify for the GS-04 level, you must possess at least 6 months of specialized experience which includes: Installing and maintaining soil and water conservation measures on public or privately owned land including parks, farms, ranches, agricultural land; or general experience working and advising on conservation methods, animal, and/or crop care as a farm/ranch hand; AND 6 months of any general experience that demonstrates experience with soil erosion, conservation, and agriculture. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond two years (total semester hours minus 60) by 60. Add the two percentages. (Must provide transcripts). Specialized/General Experience: To qualify for the GS-05 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level or higher in Federal service which includes:1.) Installing and maintaining agricultural land soil and water conservation measures on farms and ranches; Participates in efforts to implement conservation practices in conjunction with cropping, irrigation, and grazing systems and wildlife habitat management; OR2.) Participation with an NRCS co-op organization such as a Municipal Conservation District, State Conservation Agency, Conservation Nonprofit organization, or Conservation Non-Governmental Organization. OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. (Must submit transcripts as proof of any claimed education.) OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond two years (total semester hours minus 60) by 60. Add the two percentages. (Must provide transcripts). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/soil-conservation-technician-series-0458/ 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.
This position is located in a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state, area, or field office within a designated state. The purpose of this position is to work with landowners to apply and maintain a number of conservation practices and review of financial assistance requests under the provision of federal, state, and possibly local agriculture programs.