Land Law Examiner
What you'd do
You will serve as a Land Law Examiner with Bureau of Land Management. We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
Major duties
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Creating, updating, and maintaining the official Land Status Records, including Master Title Plats (MTP's), Historical Indices (HI's), and Control Document Index (CDI) to accurately reflect title, encumbrances, restrictions, leases, license, grants, and other actions impacting Federal interest lands. Researches BLM and other land records to determine land ownership, types of ownership, rights, encumbrances, withdrawals, restrictions, and other land status for case processing or other agency and public inquiries. Evaluates a wide variety of different lands and minerals case types that impact both private and public interests for accuracy and completeness. Develops facts and evidence and applies appropriate laws and policies for specific cases as applicable to the official land status records. Utilizes data, systems and applications to collect, enter, manipulate, update and maintain data according to prescribed Bureau and program standards. Ensures data quality and integrity by adherence to quality control standards and procedures. Evaluates source documents and active database information to confirm that all status records and databases are accurate and current. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
What you need to qualify
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 07/29/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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. To qualify for the GS-07: You must posses at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Processing a variety of quasi-legal or legal documents, such as title abstracts, leases, contracts, deeds, mortgages, real estate records, legal land descriptions, land titles or tract maps. (2) Conducting legal research to collect, verify, interpret, and analyze regulations, laws and information involving legal land descriptions. (3) Conducting legal document examinations related to land law examining and its relation to public land laws, mineral leasing, and/or mining laws. (4) Communicating orally and in writing to communicate with internal/external stakeholders and to prepare reports or written materials. (5) Utilizing computer equipment and software applications to input, manipulates, update, and maintain data and request reports. -OR- Education: Graduate level education (including law school) that included or was supplement by 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement: Bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position as described above from an accredited college or university, and meets one of the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement based on the following: (1) class standing (upper third standing in the graduating class of a college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses); (2) grade-point average (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; (3) election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. Applicants who qualify for GS-7 on the basis of the superior academic achievement provision must have had at least 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.). -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. To qualify for the GS-09: You must possess at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: (1) Conducting record searches to document decisions related to public land and mineral leasing laws to adjudicate actions and determine criteria for special conditions, applications, patents, or requests. (2) Utilizing land surveying terminology and land record systems to interpret and understand legal land descriptions. (3) Determining surface and mineral ownership status from surface and quad maps, Master Title Plats, mineral plats, court decisions, commercial legal publications, or other related manuals and guidance. (4) Communicating orally and in writing to convey decisions on applications and to provide responses to questions from the public and/or other internal/external organizations. (5) Utilizing computer equipment and software applications to input, manipulate, update, and maintain data and request reports. -OR- Education: Completed at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to the work of the position (including law school) that included or was supplemented by 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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.
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