Natural Resource Specialist

Salary: $61,722.00 to $80,243.00 Per Year

This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority for COLLEGE GRADUATES and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position. College Graduate appointments are permanent competitive service appointments.

Major duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Leads or participates in interdisciplinary teams conducting environmental analyses and ensuring compliance with environmental laws (e.g. the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Clean Water Act), regulations, and policies. Determines the environmental effects of Reclamation's actions and project operations. Prepares, or oversees preparation of, and reviews categorical exclusion checklists, environmental assessments, Findings of No Significant Impacts, environmental impact statements, records of decision, and biological assessments. Provides technical analyses, guidance, and policy recommendations for assuring that environmental requirements are appropriately integrated with Regional programs and activities that affect biological, land, and water resources. Collaborates with specialists in a wide range of disciplines, including engineers, hydrologists, soil scientists, economists, and other professionals. Prepares memoranda, special technical reports, statements of work, service agreements, task orders, and other documentation on environmental issues and tasks, and provides guidance and assistance to government or contract personnel involved in preparing such documents. Develops sampling plans and leads field crews collecting data for aquatic and habitat resource surveys for resident and anadromous fish. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Qualifications

Requirements Continued... Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. To be eligible for a College Graduate Appointment, you must meet the following requirements: Recent graduates who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree within the previous two years; OR Uniformed service members who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and were unable to apply within two years of obtaining their degree due to a uniformed service obligation of at least four years, may apply within two years of their discharge from uniformed service; AND Meets the minimum qualification standards prescribed or approved by OPM for the position to which the individual is being appointed. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/13/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following: A. Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of education and experience that is equivalent to a major in a biological science plus appropriate experience or additional education.-AND To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience at this level must include all of the following: experience or knowledge of the application of the principles, concepts and methodology associated with natural resources and environmental laws (e.g. National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Clean Water Act). Examples of specialized experience include: Conducting studies using fact-finding techniques (e.g. data collection and literature review); Analyzing data associated with environmental or scientific studies; and Presenting findings and associated environmental data in written form that results in or contributes to preparation of documents (e.g. summary, technical, and/or environmental documents, etc.). You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, with a major that is related to the duties of this position.. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience.Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take . Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. Volunteer Experience: 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.