INTERDISCIPLINARY

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: Serves as a study manager, key team member, and senior technical specialist responsible for the execution of environmental, cultural resource, and land use planning activities for the Corps civil works program.

This job is open to

• The public
  
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Military spouses

Clarification from the agency

**Special Notice: Please Read! ***
This vacancy is open to all U.S. citizens via Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce.
If you are a current permanent federal employee or have other federal status eligibilities, such as a veteran and/or a military spouse, you are also welcome to apply through this announcement. However, under Direct Hire Authority (DHA), preference does not apply, and you will be considered along with the other candidates.

Videos

Duties

• The Major Responsibilities below are applicable to the Full Performance GS-12 level.
• Incorporate environmental and cultural resource concerns into engineering and economic studies to disclose and mitigate the effects of proposed actions.
• Analyze data to assess the effects on environmental, cultural, and historical resources, including fish, wildlife, air and water quality, aesthetics, land use, historical significance, and environmental justice.
• Develop alternatives utilizing federal law and environmental protection policies to ensure that proposed projects align with established environmental goals.
• Evaluate the effects of potential water resource projects, suggest alternative solutions to minimize their impact, and create environmental reports.
• Serve as the organization's spokesperson for various meetings and conferences on environmental and cultural resources.
• Provide advice and assistance to others by guiding and reviewing ongoing work assignments and completed work.
• Provide comprehensive overview of the issues solutions faced by various groups i.e. rural and community landowners, residents, representatives, and interest groups.
• Create and maintain a schedule for all assigned tasks, ensuring that all due dates are met.
• Initiate and manage contracts for work to be performed by consultants, laboratories, or other agencies.
• Monitor progress of work and review for technical accuracy, completeness, conformance to scope of work requirements, and timeliness.
• Develop estimates of schedule, budget, and staffing requirements to accomplish work.
• Perform quality assurance/quality control reviews on District documents.
• Manage cultural resource investigations to locate, identify, evaluate, protect, and preserve archaeological and historical properties.
• Design and implement field investigations for analyzing the potential effect of the organization's actions on protected resources.
• Interpret and analyze data to evaluate historical significance of properties, and the potential effect of the organization's actions on these properties.
• Coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies and private interests on environmental, cultural resources, and land use aspects of assigned projects.
• Organize and present appropriate data logically in support of comprehensive measures, plans, and objectives.
• Review and respond to comments, resolve conflicts, and prepare final versions of reports.
• Create a variety of technical reports i.e. environmental assessments, impact statements, land use plans, environmental compliance, effect determinations, mitigation plans, etc.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• One (1) year probationary period may be required if not completed previously.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the Individual Occupational (Basic Education) Requirements AND Specialized Experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL (Basic Education) REQUIREMENTS PER SERIES

If applying under Archeologist - Series 0193

A. Education

1. Degree that included 3 semester hours each in the following course areas:

• History of archeology.
• Archeology of a major geographical area such as North America or Africa.
• Regional archeology, archeological cultures, or sites in a specific part or portion of a major geographical area to acquire or develop a foundation for regional specialization for professional development.
• Theory and methods of archeology. Methods include, but are not limited to, typology, classification, sampling, cultural evolution, diffusion, dating, and analytical techniques.
• Archeological field school, to provide a basic understanding of theoretical and practical approaches to research design implementation, field preservation techniques, and report preparation by participation in actual field work.

AND

Six semester hours of related course work in:

• geography, geology, or cultural geography;
• history, historiography, or historical archeology;
• environmental studies;
• scientific writing (nonfiction English composition); and/or
• surveying;

AND

• Archeological field school.

2. Related Curriculum - degree in anthropology (with emphasis on ethnology, physical anthropology, or scientific linguistics), history, American studies, or a related discipline may be accepted as satisfying in full the educational requirements, provided the curriculum supplied academic course work sufficiently similar to the requirements in A.1 (including archeological field school).

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience - College-level education or training that provided knowledge equivalent to that described in A above, plus appropriate technical experience or additional education.

OR

C. Experience - Four years of archeological work experience that demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional archeology. The work experience must have included archeology field experience, which may include that gained in an archeological field school. Field experience should have included a combination of professional experience in archeological survey, excavation, laboratory analysis, and preparation of written materials. Applicants with such field experience should, after additional experience under the direction of a higher grade archeologist, be able to demonstrate the ability to be a crew chief, directing the work of others at a single location as a part of a larger archeological project.

If applying under Biologist or Environmental Resource Specialist - Series 0401

A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

If applying under Soil Conservationist - Series 0457

A. Degree: soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown in A above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.

If applying under Wildlife Biologist - Series 0486

A. Degree: biological science that included:

• At least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology; and
• At least 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects (Excess courses in wildlife biology may be used to meet the zoology requirements where appropriate.); and
• At least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

If applying under Landscape Architect - Series 0807

A. Degree: landscape architecture or landscape design.

• Note: Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture in an accredited college or university is qualifying for GS-7.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience for each year short of graduation, the applicant must have had 1 year of experience under professional leadership and guidance of such character and diversity as to be a satisfactory substitute for the required education. This experience must have included original landscape design.

If applying under History - Series 0170

A. Degree: history; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in history, or a major in a related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

(Specialized Experience requirements continued in EDUCATION section below)

Education

In addition to meeting the individual occupational (Basic Education) requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience listed below:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE to qualify at the GS-11 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Interpreting environmental and cultural resource laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); 2) Supporting water resources studies with emphasis on flood damage reduction, navigation, and environmental/ecosystem restoration; 3) Assist in writing technical reports i.e. environmental assessments, impact statements, land use plans, compliance reports, effect determinations, mitigation plans, and/or memoranda of agreement; 4) Providing basic technical guidance to interdisciplinary teams to address, avoid, or minimize impacts to environmental and cultural resources; 5) Monitoring work schedules for all tasks, ensuring that all timelines and objectives are met; 6) Fostering open communication amongst stakeholders and the public.This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).

OR

Education: Ph.D. or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE to qualify at the GS-12 level: One year of specialized experience which includes:1) Interpreting and implementing environmental and cultural resource laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); 2) Planning and scheduling water resources studies with emphasis on flood damage reduction, navigation, and environmental/ecosystem restoration; 3) Writing technical reports i.e. environmental assessments, impact statements, land use plans, compliance reports, effect determinations, mitigation plans, and/or memoranda of agreement; 4) Providing in depth technical guidance to interdisciplinary teams to mitigate or minimize the impact on environmental and cultural resources; 5) Creating and maintaining work schedules for all tasks, ensuring that all timelines and objectives are met; 6) Coordinating Public Involvement and Stakeholder Engagement to facilitate effective communication. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience aloneno substitution of education for experience is permitted at the GS-12 level. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Environmental Planning
• Oral Communication
• Project Management
• Scientific Research
• Writing

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is an 18 - Engineers and Scientists (Resources and Construction) Career Field position.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• Recruitment, Relocation. Advance in Hire, Advanced Leave Accrual or Student Loan Repayment Incentives MAY be considered upon applicant's request and based on agency policy. A service agreement will be required.

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
  
  As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
  
  1. Your resume:
  
  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
  
  2. Other supporting documents:
  
  
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • This position has an individual occupational requirement and allows for substitution of education for experience at the GS-11 level only. If you meet this requirement based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
  
  NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
  
  
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  
  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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
  schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
  
  The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/16/2024 to receive consideration
  
  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12520270).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
  
  To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Army Applicant Help Desk
  
  Website
  
  https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq
  
  Address
  
  RE-W2SM04 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-PITTSBURGH
  
  DO NOT MAIL
  
  Pittsburgh, PA 15222
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

• Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and allows for substitution of education for experience at the GS-11 level only. If you meet this requirement based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.


If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/16/2024 to receive consideration

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12520270).
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
• It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
• Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk

Website

https://portal.chra.army.mil/hr_public?id=app_inq

Address

RE-W2SM04 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-PITTSBURGH

DO NOT MAIL

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

US

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request