Soil Conservation Technician

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

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 does allow individuals without experience in this field to substitute education in lieu of experience.

GS-04
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service which includes:

• Providing information and assistance to install and maintain conservation measures on public or privately owned land including cropland, grazing land (range or pasture), parks, shoreline, refuse waste sites, dams and reservoir areas, water and sewer sites, road embankments, forests, and wildlife habitats.

OR

Education: 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.

GS-05
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the 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; OR
• 2.) participation with an NRCS co-op organization such as a Conservation District, State Conservation Agency or Conservation Non-Governmental Organization.

OR

Education: 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 experience and education: You must have a combination of education and experience as listed above which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5. (Must provide transcripts)

GS-06
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• advising landowners on the use of one or more conservation practices such as terraces, grassed waterways, diversions, underground outlets, irrigation system improvements, cropping systems, fencing, livestock water development, or nutrient management etc. to address individual resource concerns including soil erosion, water quality degradation, or declining range health;
• installing and maintaining agricultural land soil and water conservation measures on farms and ranches;
• performing engineering surveys, processing survey data, preparing engineering designs, and conducting construction inspection activities for various soil erosion stabilization and water diversion practices;
• providing advice on integrating multiple conservation practices using established client objectives. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

OR

Education: One full year of graduate education from an accredited college or university leading to a master's degree with a major course of study in Soil Conservation, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering/Construction Technology (Auto CAD/Drafting, Surveying, GIS), Agronomy, Agri-Business/Economics.

GS-07
Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Designing, installing and maintaining a variety of complex and/or nonroutine conservation measures on public and privately owned land including farms, ranches, parks, shoreline, dams and reservoir areas, forests, and/or wildlife habitats; advising property holders, land managers, and partners on the effectiveness of applying soil and water conservation practices;
• Conducting basic inventory and evaluation activities in support of conservation planning efforts;
• Performing complex engineering surveys, processing survey data, preparing engineering designs, approving engineering designs, and conducting construction inspection activities for various soil erosion stabilization, water diversion practices, wildlife habitat development, streambank stabilization, and grade stabilization practices;
• Providing advice on the function of comprehensive conservation systems to treat multiple resource problems/concerns using established client objectives;
• Developing and maintaining constructive relationships with clients, partners, practice installation vendors, construction contractors, and Conservation Districts.(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

OR

Education: One full year of graduate education from an accredited college or university leading to a master's degree with a major course of study in Soil Conservation, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering/Construction Technology (Auto CAD/Drafting, Surveying, GIS), Agronomy, Agri-Business/Economics.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.