Summary Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. This position serves as a Rangeland Management Specialist in the Malheur Field Office, Vale District Office, in Vale, Oregon or Baker City, Oregon. We expect to fill 3 vacancy(ies) at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available. Responsibilities Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor. As the Rangeland Management Specialist (Pathways Recent Graduate), At the GS-5 level: The position is considered to be a basic trainee/developmental position, with guidance and supervision provided by the assigned supervisor and/or guidance by a higher graded rangeland management specialist. The position performs rangeland management specialist duties at a reduced level of responsibility and/or difficulty while receiving on-the-job and other appropriate training as identified in an Individual Development plan to prepare him/her for promotion to the next higher level. Primary responsibilities include: review of range permits and applications to ensure compliance with appropriate federal law as well as providing assistance to other senior rangeland management specialists in preparing, evaluating and conducting biological analysis for the need of rangeland projects; conducting studies to determine grazing management actions; learning how to develop Allotment Management Plans; and monitoring/surveying activities that may impact sensitive shrub and pasture-lands. The trainee specialist must learn to authorize livestock use, process crossing permits and transfers, perform case file updates and execute unauthorized use actions. At the GS-7 level: The position is considered to be an advanced trainee. Major duties include: assisting in preparation, evaluation and conducting biological analysis of public rangeland projects; learning to develop more complex allotment management plans while working independently on less complex allotment management plans; independently conducts monitoring of smaller on-going rangeland management construction and development projects; participates in monitoring and surveying activities that may impact sensitive shrub and pasture-lands, and evaluates and reports any change in status of the rangeland. Learns to authorize livestock use, process crossing permits and transfers, perform case file updates and execute unauthorized use actions; and independently process range use adjustments and exchange of use authorizations. At the GS-9 level: The position is responsible for assisting in preparing, evaluating and conducting biological analysis of public rangelands. Major duties include: development of consideration plans, review of range permit applications to ensure compliance with appropriate federal law; ensuring impacts to rangeland ecosystems are properly mitigated; develops and implements allotment management plans; conducts related monitoring studies and determine need for changes in management; provides basic input to interdisciplinary reports, environmental assessments, and protective stipulations for rangeland ecosystems; evaluates and reports any changes in the status of the rangeland; develops, implements and maintains resource management plans for the Field Office. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To be eligible, an applicant must: Be a Recent Graduate who has obtained a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years or other applicable period. Other applicable period may include: (1) Certain veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe described above due to a military service obligation, shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon his/her release or discharge from active duty. However, in no event, may the individual's eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the individual completed the requirements of an academic course of study; and (2) Applicants who completed their educational program requirements after December 27, 2010 will have a full 2 years of eligibility beginning on the date the final regulations became effective, July 10, 2012. BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 0454 SERIES: 1. Bachelor's or higher degree in range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows: Range Management -- At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning. Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences -- At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable. Related Resource Management Studies -- At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management. OR 2. Combination of education and experience: at least 42 semester hours of course work in the combination of plant, animal, and soil sciences and natural resources management shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement listed above, you must meet experience and/or education requirements for the respective grade level(s) for which applying. GS-05: A. Specialized Experience: Applicants who meet the basic requirements (described above) are fully qualified for the GS-0454-05 level. GS-07: A. Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Assisting with projects related to the ecological behavior of grasslands, pasture lands, savannas, shrub lands, riparian properties, deserts, meadows and/or coast marshes; (2) Working with others in the development, implementation, and maintenance of resource management plans; (3) Utilize automated systems to generate reports for rangeland management programs; and (4) Reviewing livestock use authorizations, crossing permits and transfers for validity. OR B. Education: I have completed one (1) full academic year of graduate level education in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct the work of this position. One year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. Note: You must submit a copy of your transcripts. Your submitted transcripts must show required coursework. OR C. Superior Academic Achievement by earning a bachelor's degree with at least one of the following (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher based on a 4.0 scale; (2) a 3.5 GPA or higher for required courses completed in a major field of study during junior and senior year of a 4-year college or university; (3) class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or a major subdivision of the college, based on completed courses; or (4) membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position being filled that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management described under the basic education requirements. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts and GPA must be reflected on your transcripts, as proof of any claimed education.) OR D. Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience. To calculate your combined amount, first determine the amount of your specialized experience as a percentage of the requirement listed in A above. Then determine the amount of your education as a percentage of the requirement listed in B above; then add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education. GS-09: A. Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Conducting scientific and natural resources management tasks to measure range conditions or ecological status; (2) Gathering data, analyzing, interpreting and/or evaluating results to prepare recommendations for management action; (3) Providing support to senior management in coordinating and conducting studies on range and grassland ecosystems; and (4) Utilizing computers to enter and retrieve data, produce reports and/or prepare written documents for rangeland and grass-like ecosystems. OR B. Education: Successful completion of at least 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. This education must demonstrate possession of the knowledges, skills and abilities to perform the work of this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education. OR C. Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience. To calculate your combined amount, first determine the amount of your specialized experience as a percentage of the requirement listed in A above. Then determine the amount of your education as a percentage of the requirement listed in B above; then add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education. You must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Education To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Recent Graduates Program Recent Graduates who in the previous 2 years have completed a degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply. This position is for Recent Graduates who have completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years. Note: (1) Certain veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe due to a military service obligation have up to 6 years from completing their education to apply; (2) Applicants who completed their educational program requirements after December 27, 2010 will have a full 2 years of eligibility beginning on the date the final regulations became effective, July 10, 2012. This is an excepted service, developmental experience appointment expected to last only 1 year under the BLM Pathways Recent Graduates Program. The BLM will require the selected applicant to complete a Participant Agreement in which it shall document the anticipated start and end dates for this developmental appointment. The agency may noncompetitively convert a Recent Graduate who is a U. S. citizen to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service, as long as the Recent Graduate successfully completes the BLM's 1 year developmental program and meets the OPM Qualification Standards for the targeted occupational series. Additional Information DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number OR-25-DE/MP-12624150-AMD, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligibles. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods. Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment. This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-11. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied. Physical Demands: The individual works in an office setting at this level, however, in order to gather samples and complete monitoring activities, the individual frequently may be required to walk, ride horses or ride vehicles over rough terrain, perform, duties that require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching or lifting. Work may also include lifting of moderately heavy items, such equipment and samples. Overnight camping is sometimes required. The incumbent may subjected to hostile wildlife, chemical and physical hazards. Working Conditions: The incumbent works in an office setting, however, frequent field work is required to complete projects. The employee may be exposed to moderate risks of working alone in the discomfort from harsh weather. The work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomfort. Special safety precautions and specialized equipment are required.