Summary This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture {USDA), Farm Production and Conservation {FPAC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Indiana State Field Office. The Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is USDA's focal point for the nation's farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners for crop insurance, conservation programs and technical assistance and credit and commodity programs, and disaster programs. Responsibilities Provides leadership and direction to implement the technical aspects of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, highly erodible land and wetland policies. Assists in the development and supervises the implementation of a standardized process for Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, completion of wetland determinations, restoration and mitigation plans, wetland and highly erodible land appeals Provides statewide technical guidance to State Office, Field Support Office and Field Office personnel on all Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, wetland and highly erodible land issues Develops materials and technical tools for use by technical staffs in conducting Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, wetland and highly erodible land determinations and delineations on agricultural and nonagricultural lands. Responsible for establishing employee standards and evaluates performance; Ensures that necessary training is provided to employees, approves leave requests, and oversees day-to-day operations. 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. Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled 0401 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 (GS-12 level): To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service. This experience must include knowledge of the principles and theories of soil and water conservation and related sciences such as biology, agronomy, and forestry, in identifying conservation related problems. Examples of specialized experience include: Providing resources to farmers and landowners aiding in conservation; Developing and implementing natural resource development policies. Providing statewide leadership on the Food Security Act, Wetland Conservation compliance and Highly Erodible Land Conservation. NOTE: There is no educational substitute for the GS-12 level. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: Group Standard 400 series 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 If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: You must submit a copy of your transcripts to include course number, title, completion and grade. 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. 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. 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. Failure to provide all of the required documents/information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. Additional Information 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. 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.