Natural Resources Specialist
What you'd do
You will serve as a Natural Resources Specialist with Bureau of Reclamation.
Major duties
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Serves as a natural resources specialist, overseeing the preparation of complex environmental compliance documents and provides advice and staff assistance in the formation of policies responsive to the Region's needs in the environmental field. Coordinates and oversees interdisciplinary teams in the preparation and processing of assigned environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, environmental commitment plans, Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultation packages, biological assessments, and other environmental documents. Conducts workshops, hearings, and meetings, and interacts with public interest groups, water districts, individuals and representatives of Federal, State, and local governments regarding all aspects of preparing and processing environmental documents. Reviews and provides comments on environmental impact statements and other environmental documents prepared by the Region and other agencies for compliance with the provisions of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), ESA, and other environmental statutes, executive orders, regulations, and procedures. Reviews planning and other internal and external reports and data dealing with environmental problems and their solutions to ensure environmental policy is articulated properly. Acts in a liaison capacity with other technical segments, natural resource specialists in other offices, and personnel in project offices on environmental matters affected by various planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance phases and research. Participates as a member of special Reclamation committees, task forces, and groups that are formed to address projects of a special or controversial nature to represent Regional environmental policy positions. 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 - 08/13/2026-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. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience/education requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following: 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. To qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: gathering and evaluating information, contributing to environmental analyses, assisting with the preparation of reports and documents, and assisting with identifying environmental considerations that may affect projects. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. To qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: identifying and analyzing environmental impacts; addressing direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of proposed actions; preparing Categorical Exclusions; assisting with developing mitigation measures. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: collecting, reviewing, and analyzing natural resource or ecological data and communicating findings to government agencies, tribes and the public; preparing Environmental Assessments and assisting with the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements; and developing mitigation measures, monitoring plans, and tracking implementation. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: preparing documents to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act; conducting NEPA scoping and public involvement, assisting with public notices and interagency coordination; conducting QA reviews of documents; advising staff and management on compliance with environmental laws and documents; and managing NEPA project logistics, including scheduling, budgeting, coordination with technical experts, and ensuring procedural compliance. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to the one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society. 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.
Before you apply
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