Summary This position is located on the staff of the Assistant State Conservationist/Programs. The incumbent serves as the Easement Coordinator in a state for all conservation easement programs. Responsible for providing program guidance, training and coordination to facilitate the agency mission and assigned program responsibilities. Responsibilities Serve as the Easement Coordinator for the Conservation Easement Programs. Provide leadership and tracking of easement program applications, eligibility, deeds, monitoring, compatible use agreements, appraisals, obligations and fund integrity. Review survey plans, parcel boundary descriptions, maps, appraisals, title insurance policies, conservation plans, list of encumbrances, and baseline documentation to ensure all documents are in compliance with easement regulations. Manage contracts for outside services for the completion of market analyses and surveys to determine appropriate easement compensation rates and develops corresponding statewide geographical area rate caps. Provide statewide coordination of easement monitoring activities in accordance with established policy. Conduct outreach activities for easement program opportunities for culturally diverse population. Prepare and organize data needed for program related appeals including official administrative records. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Time in grade: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade (e.g., one year at the GS-09 grade level for consideration for the GS-11 grade level or one year at the GS-11 grade level for consideration for the GS-12 grade level). Basic Education Requirement: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience must include Providing technical assistance, and evaluation to easement management plans or other conservation management plans; implementing wetland or grassland restoration techniques; assisting with easement acquisition procedures including title and description reviews; and providing advisory to describe easement or other conservation policies and procedures.OR Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience for the GS-11 level: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.; OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of graduate-level education and experience, as described above, may be used to qualify for this position. This combination must have equipped you with the necessary knowledge and/or experience to successfully perform the duties of this position. Combinations of experience and education must total at least 100% as outlined in OPM Qualifications policy. Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience must include providing technical guidance, and evaluation to easement management plans and appeals; preparing legal and programmatic analysis for appeal request in support of a financial assistance program or easement program; Coordinating outreach that support Farm Bill easements or other conservation programs and gathering natural resources data and evaluating the effectiveness of conservation programs and policy. Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level. 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/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/. 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. Education You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. 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. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information. Additional Information Location Consideration: You may select up to three locations. Locality Pay: The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables my be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Physical Demands: The position requires both sedentary work, usually performed in an office setting, and moderate physical exertion, usually associated with outside field work including studies. The incumbent is required to visit field sites where extensive walking on rough terrain, contact with livestock, moderate climbing (including over fences), bending, lifting, carrying of moderately heavy objects weighing less than 50 pounds. Office work includes the use of a personal computer and other office equipment, with the physical demands typical of the established setting. Work Environment: Work involves exposure to moderate risks and discomforts, such as those due to adverse weather and unimproved roads that are often encountered during field visits. Field visits are made to project locations to meet with clients, review inventory, and evaluate rangeland resources. Work requires special safety precautions and/or protective clothing and equipment. Evening work and overnight travel are occasionally required. PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following: If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted. If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline. This position is eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Current USDA policy includes telework for an 8 hour work day, 4 days per week; other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor. Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized.