Careers in Conservation

• engineers
• engineering technicians
• soil conservationists
• soil conservation technicians
• soil scientists
• other specialists

• Attention Veterans
• Benefits
• Chances of Employment
• Excepted Appointments
• Merit Promotions
• Recruitment Methods
• Selection Requirements
• Student Career Experience Program
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Suitability
• Written Tests

For More Information, Contact:

Katherine G. Mokrzecky
Human Resources Manager
katherine.mokrzecky@ma.usda.gov
451 West Street
Amherst MA 01002-2995

Federal Job Opportunities Bulletin Board
www.usajobs.opm.gov

Soil Conservationist

Provide conservation planning, education and technical help to land users to conserve soil and water resources. Specialists in this field work in crop and pest management, water quality, grassland and pasture management, urban conservation, irrigation and nutrient management, etc.

Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent combination of education & experience) in soil conservation, range conservation, or closely related agricultural or natural resource fields. Thirty semester hours in natural resources or agricultural fields including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils, crops, or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, at least three must be in soils and three in crops or plant science.

Soil Conservation Technicians

Advise land users on how to install conservation practices. They also survey, design, and oversee installation of practices such as terraces, waterways, etc.

Qualifications:
Knowledge of agricultural operations, machinery, and terminology. Education or work experience providing familiarity with the conservation practices is desirable.

Soil Scientists

Map, classify and describe soils, identifying problems such as wetness and erosion.

Qualifications:
A Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) in soil science or a related discipline. At least 30 semester hours of biological, physical or earth science, including 15 hours in soils courses such as soil genesis, penology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.

Engineers

Design and oversee building of water supply systems, concrete and earthen dams, waste management structures, stream bank and channel erosion control, etc. Engineers must be skilled in erosion control, water management, structural design, construction, hydraulics, soil mechanics, and environmental protection.

Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in engineering. Specialties can vary.

Engineering Technicians

Survey, plot notes, lay out construction measures, gather data, make computations, prepare maps and cross sections, inspect structures for water storage, flood prevention, waste management, irrigation and recreation projects.

Qualifications:
Education or experience which provided familiarity with surveying, levels and transits, construction, layout and inspection. Sound knowledge of basic mathematics is desirable.

We Also Offer Careers for People Trained in:

Suitability

• Applicants must be citizens of the United States.  Shortly after being hired, federal employees are investigated to ensure their fitness for government employment.
• You must be physically able to perform the duties of a job without being a hazard to yourself or others. A physical or mental disability is not necessarily disqualifying.
• All applicants for federal employment receive consideration without regard to race, sex, age, religion, disability, color, national origin, or any other non-merit factor.

Benefits

• Comprehensive retirement
• Tax-deferred savings plan
• Versatile life and health insurance
• 13 days of annual leave (Senior employees may earn up to 26 days of annual leave)
• 13 days of sick leave each year.
• Flexible work schedules

Recruitment Methods

• Internal vacancy announcement (Merit Promotion)
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM) register/announcement
• Delegated examining
• Veterans Readjustment Appointment (VRA)
• Reinstatement
• Transfer, other federal employees
• Other special authorities: (i.e., excepted appointments, disabled authority, 30 percent or more service-connected compensable disabled veteran, co-op student, Peace Corps, Vista, etc.

Merit Promotions

Internal vacancy announcements are mainly to provide individuals currently employed by NRCS an opportunity to compete for jobs, but federal employees in other agencies or former federal employees may also apply.

Excepted Appointments

• Applications also may be accepted from VRA eligible, 30% disabled veterans, for VISTA or Peace Corps workers (within three years of separation), individuals whose disability limits one or more major life activities, etc. Applications is made by submitting application, transcripts, and responses to KSA’s to the address on the announcement.
• Applicants interested in temporary and intermittent (WAE) employment may apply directly to the NRCS field offices in which they wish to work. However, individuals in these positions are usually not entitled to federal employment benefits. Students interested in such employment may apply under the Student Temporary Employment Program.

Student Career Experience Program

This career-related student program features alternating academic terms of classroom study and periods of employment. It allows conversion of a student into the competitive service after satisfactory completion of the education and work requirements. Co-op students must complete at least 640 hours of satisfactory work and maintain acceptable academic achievement to be eligible for conversion. Most co-op students work up to 2600 work hours within a two-year period during at least two work periods: one during the normal school year and one during the summer.

Attention Veterans

Applications may be accepted from veterans within 10 years of latest discharge from active duty who meet eligibility requirements for Veterans Readjustment Act (VRA) appointments. ALL veterans who are verified as 30% or more disabled are eligible for appointment. A DD-214 must be submitted with the application. For verification of veteran status call: 1-800-827-1000, or contact  the Veterans Employment and Training Service www.dol.gov

Volunteer Opportunities

Persons committed to helping people protect and conserve the Earth's natural resources can join the Earth Team. As an Earth Team volunteer you would be working side by side with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's corps of professional conservationists. Although you won't be paid for your efforts, you will enjoy learning new skills, meeting new people and being a part of a dedicated conservation effort. For information about The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) tests for clerical positions and assists agencies in recruitment for federal jobs. They evaluate applications and test to determine who is best qualified. If you are qualified, your name is placed, in score order, on a list with the names of other qualified individuals.

Selection Requirements

By law, agency-hiring officials may choose from among the top three available candidates referred to them for a particular job. When veterans are among the three names referred, the selecting official generally may not pass over a higher-ranking veteran to hire a non-veteran.

Written Tests

If a written test is required, you will receive a notice telling you when and where to take it, or an information sheet will list the dates and times when the test is given. Approximately six to eight weeks after filing an application or taking a test, you will receive a notice with information of your eligibility and/or numerical score.

Chances of Employment

Your chances of being hired depend on:

• Qualifications
• Vacancies in the area
• Number of applicants
• Your specified salary level

Jobs are included on a weekly Federal Job Opportunity List (FJOL)