Job: Engineering Technician Merit

Jobing Description

Engineering Technician Merit
JOB SUMMARY:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.

You will be a member of the team that has the mission of "Helping People Help the Land."

North Dakota has excellent hunting and fishing, low cost of living and high quality of life. For more information about the State of North Dakota visit the following web site at: http://www.nd.gov

WHO MAY APPLY

Applications will be accepted from all Federal employees serving on a career or career-conditional appointment, all former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility, veterans eligible under special hiring authorities, Interagency Career Transitions Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles, and Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) eligibles.

Please read the entire vacancy announcement and follow the specific instructions for applying. Failure to do so may eliminate you from consideration.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES- Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) is available to individuals who have special priority selection rights under this plan. Individuals must be well-qualified for this position to receive consideration for special priority selection. CTAP or ICTAP eligibiles will be considered well-qualified when receiving an adjudicated score of 85 or higher. Federal employees seeking CTAP or ICTAP Eligibility must submit proof of meeting the requirements of CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action notating current position, grade level, and duty location. You are to annotate in your application that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.

To read more about CTAP or ICTAP eligibility visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

Read the entire job announcement and follow all instructions provided.

KEY REQUIREMENTS
* You must be a United States Citizen.
* Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
* You must have a valid state driver's license.
* Relocation expenses are authorized for this position.
* College transcripts are required if applying based on education.
* Federal employees must achieve Time-In-Grade requirements.

DUTIES:

The incumbent completes a detailed topographic survey of the site and gathers conventional and electronic data for input into computerized design processes; completes construction layout by electronic or optic survey equipment; and will survey and layout small structures with optical survey equipment.

The incumbent performs electronic and manual computations of drainage areas, earthwork, and the sizing of system components. The incumbent completes design packets including a design report, informal bid schedule, engineering cost estimate, correspondence, design computations, design drawings, quantity computations, standards and specifications, an Operation and Management (O&M) Plan suitable for submission to the Area Engineer for approval.

As requested by the district conservationist, the incumbent provides basic in-the-field training to field office personnel in the design and application of common engineering practices such as waterways, diversions, ponds, spring developments, and pipelines. The incumbent makes recommendations to the area engineer on more advanced workload-based training for field office personnel and assists in local, area-wide, and state-wide training sessions as requested.

The incumbent participates with field office personnel in a pre-construction conference with the producer and the producer s contractor. The incumbent construction stakes system components. The incumbent inspects all or part of the construction of conservation practice and advises the landowner as to the practice meeting specifications and completes checkout survey for quantities and as-built drawings.

The incumbent performs in-depth investigations of the suitability of sites for source materials and storage structures through review of soil survey information and multiple field soil borings by use of drilling equipment.

The on-line occupational questionnaire that you will complete on-line will address the following

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities necessary for this position:

1. SURVEYING, DATA COLLECTION, AND DATA ANALYSIS.

2. DESIGN AND DRAFTING.

3. CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION.

4. ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements for the GS-802 series as set forth in the Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions. http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs0800/0802.htm

To qualify at the GS-05 grade level you need ONE of the following:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal Government. This experience includes designing routine engineering conversation measures on public and privately owned land including farms, parks, shoreline, dams and reservoir areas, forests, and/or wildlife habitats.

OR

EDUCATION:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (a) with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology; or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics. At least 6 of the 24 semester hours must have been in drafting if the position has been designed by a drafting area of specialization.

To qualify at the GS-06 grade level you need:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal Government. This experience includes technical work in: drafting, surveying construction estimating, physical science, mathematics, aerospace, architecture, chemicals, electrical or mechanical systems, mining, petroleum, or nuclear systems. Preparing engineering plans, determining that engineering practices are constructed in accordance with plans and specifications, plot contours, cross-sections and profiles from field notes, supervises layout and construction of conservation practices on land.

OR

EDUCATION:

Successful completion of 9 semester hours or more of graduate education leading to a Masters degree in engineering coupled with 3 or more months of working experience.

To qualify at the GS-07 grade level you need:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal Government. This experience include: performing tests on equipment; compiling, computing, plotting, and checking a wide variety of data for construction projects (earthen dams, ag waste management systems, filter strips; water and sediment control basins, rock riprap slope protections, etc); using CADD and manual techniques to prepare sketches, drawings, diagrams and charts for several phases of projects such as excavation, embankment, structures, triangulation, profiles and traverses, etc.; assisting field engineering staff in staking out work and to facilitate computation or quantities.

OR

EDUCATION:

Successful completion of three semesters of graduate level coursework (18 semester hours) leading to a Masters degree.

Combining Experience and Education:

If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (When crediting education, the number of hours of related courses required, will be prorated as a proportion of the total education to be used.)

For GS-5 level positions, 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 applicant's total qualifying experience will be determined as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then the applicant's education will be determined as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5.

To learn more about combining education and experience for this series, refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-tech.asp.

APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 11:59 pm EDT on Thursday, March 08, 2012. FAILURE TO PROVIDE COMPLETE INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN YOU NOT RECEIVING CONSIDERATION FOR THIS POSITION. APPLICANTS MUST MEET ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

How You Will Be Evaluated:

Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire.

The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. Qualified applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. Only the "Best Qualified" candidate s names will be forwarded to the Selecting Officials.

Your resume must reflect the specialized experience required for this position. In order to receive credit for your specialized experience, you must fully describe your responsibilities and show the actual time (years, months, and hours per week) spent in such activities.

YOUR RESUME MUST DOCUMENT THE WORK EXPERIENCE YOU REFLECT IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, OR that your resume does not support the score on your questionnaire, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

BENEFITS:

Working for Natural Resources Conservation Service offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The following Web address is provided for your reference to explore the major benefits offered to most Federal employees. To find out more click here http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp

OTHER INFORMATION:

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well-qualified your application must rate at or above 85. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp .

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well-qualified your application must rate at or above 85. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp .

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959 , you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your r sum . Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency.

For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.

For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference and the required documentation.

Physical Activities: The incumbent of this position will provide on-site technical assistance to Agency clients who are primarily agricultural producers. The position requires the incumbent to be able to perform a variety of physical activities, including but not limited to: (1) driving a motor vehicle, (2) operating an all-terrain vehicle over flat, uneven, and hilly terrain, (3) climbing over fences, (4) walking over uneven terrain, (5) working around animals and heavy equipment, (6) wading in wetlands, and (7) carrying equipment. The physical activities will take place in environmental conditions ranging from extreme heat to extreme cold, strong winds, rain and snow. Some accommodation of physical limitations may be possible. Inquiries are welcomed and can be directed to the contact person listed on the vacancy announcement.

HOW TO APPLY:

ONLY DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED AS OUTLINED IN THIS VACANCY WILL BE ACCEPTED. EMAILED DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.