Summary The primary purpose of the position is to develop and provide technical guidance, coordination, and integration of the Agronomic programs in conservation planning and application, technology development and training, and quality assurance to all personnel within the assigned area, or field office. Responsibilities Develop and provide guidance on the establishment, revision, and correlation of soil and vegetative interpretations for all crop land, hay land, mined land, and other related lands. Assist soil scientists in the correlation of soil-vegetative interpretations. Develop plans for field trials related to agronomy discipline, evaluates results of trials, and develop procedures and techniques for their application on locations where similar problems have occurred. Maintain knowledge of the latest research developments in resource management with emphasis on cropland management, erosion control, water quantity, and water quality, and prepare applicable Information for dissemination to field technicians. Serve as a member of an interdisciplinary technical team and provide support in the development and implementation of Federal, State, and local programs and initiatives. Develop training techniques, procedures, visual aids, and devices in order to provide on-the-job training to groups and Individuals. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Basic Education Requirement: Degree: agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management. OR Combination of Education and Experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown 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: 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. Specialized experience must include: Determining conservation needs on cropland, pastureland, and related lands; Planning multiple-use and sustained yield agronomic programs for a multi-disciplinary conservation approach; Assisting soil scientists in the correlation of soil-vegetative interpretations; Assisting in the development of agronomic techniques and standards to improve soil structure and fertility; Developing plans for field trials on soil management and crop production; AND Providing information or recommendations to farmers or other landowners regarding ways in which to best use land. Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience above in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualifications requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PROF 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 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. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. 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. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Physical Demands: Work requires long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain, recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching, or similar activities. Work may also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items, such as equipment and samples that weigh less than 50 pounds. Work Environment: The work involves regular and recurring exposure to all @types of weather conditions and working around agricultural equipment. The work also involves risks and discomfort due to weather conditions, poisonous insects, plants, and snakes, requiring safety precautions and protective clothing. PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following: If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted. If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline. This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor. Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.
