Land Surveyor

About the role

This job opportunity announcement is for the position of Land Surveyor with the Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Pacific Northwest Regional Office. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

What you will do

• Applies professional knowledge of the concepts, principles and techniques of surveying, including underlying mathematics and physical science, in combination with a practical knowledge of land ownership laws.
• Serves as project leader on a variety of topographic mapping projects.
• Plans and coordinates field mapping(s) of complex types of terrain, unique topographic features and/or rugged topography.
• Provides expert advice and consultation throughout the Region on surveying issues, including issues related to survey work performed under contract.
• Coordinates surveying activities among field offices within the Region.
• Performs other related duties as assigned within this job classification.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment is subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• To learn more, visit ***
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Male applicants born after 12-31-1959: You must be registered for Selective Service.
• Prerequisite for the GS-12: A current registration as a licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) issued through a State Board in any State or Territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia is required, as per Reclamation Manual 05-01, Professional Registration for Engineers, Land Surveyors, Landscape Architects, and Architects, section 3(G), Surveying Determinations or Actions; and section 4, Signing for Technical Approval.
• Must be able to complete required training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
• A probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary period automatically terminates when that period ends, unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and their appointment should be finalized.
• In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary period, such appointments are terminated.
• Upon completion of the probationary period, your appointment may expire unless you receive supervisory certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. *Additional Requirements are listed under Qualifications*

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement. Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Mandatory Requirements: A) Degree: land surveying; or civil engineering with a surveying option/emphasis.

The civil engineering major must have included at least 6 semester hours of surveying, 3 semester hours of land law, and 21 additional semester hours in any combination of the following: surveying, photogrammetry, geodetic surveying, geodesy, route surveying, remote sensing, cartography, survey astronomy, land information systems, computer-aided mapping, aerial photo interpretation, and survey analysis and adjustments. or B) Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in land surveying or civil engineering as described in paragraph A, plus appropriate experience or additional education. or C) The basic requirements for this occupational series may be fully satisfied by having a current registration as a licensed Professional Land Surveyor that is issued through a State Board in any State or Territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia and obtained by written examination.

Such registration must have been obtained under conditions outlined in the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE) Unified Model Law for Registration of Surveyors. Applicants wishing to be considered under this provision must show evidence of registration based on successful completion of the written examinations.

Registrations granted prior to adoption of a registration law with qualification requirements equivalent to the NCEE Model Law by the State, territory, or District of Columbia are not acceptable under this option.

To be considered equivalent to the NCEE Model law, registration laws must include the four options listed within the NCEE Unified Model Law in the section specifying "General Requirements for Registration" as a Professional Land Surveyor.

You must submit copies of your education transcript(s) to support all claimed education.

Education transcripts must include your full name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission of educational documentation will result in an unqualified rating for the position.

Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the initial application; however, you must provide the certified official transcripts if selected for the position.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs.

For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: *** This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

How you will be evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages.

Only the document submitted with the title of 'Resume' under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Qualified and eligible Merit Promotion applicants and non-competitive applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Current or former Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated through RIF have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).

To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Documents you must provide

• that includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, in Month / Day / Year format to demonstrate 52 weeks of experience or more, and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time).
• Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each job or work experience listed.
• Resumes must not exceed 2 single-sided pages and resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted.
• The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text.
• All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression.
• Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed.
• Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements.
• The USAJ resume builder guide may be accessed here: USAJ Help Center - Federal Resumes Complete All Required Assessment(s).
• Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and must be signed and certified by a rating supervisor dated within the past 18 months.
• If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level).
• Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration.
• If applying for the GS-12 full performance level of this position, you must include supporting documentation verifying that you hold a current Professional Land Surveyor's license in good standing in any State or Territory of the U.S. or in the District of Columbia, as required, and as per Reclamation Manual 05-01, Professional Registration for Engineers, Land Surveyors, Landscape Architects, and Architects, section 3(G), Surveying Determinations or Actions; and 4, Signing for Technical Approval.
• A legible copy of your (official or unofficial) education transcript.
• A certified official transcript is required to support all education claims.
• Eligibility Documentation: Current Federal employees must submit a copy of your most recent SF50 document (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade level, and if applicable, an additional SF50 showing the highest grade held in permanent appointment status.
• Time-in-grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF50 documentation.
• If your SF50 with the highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year.
• Do not submit award SF-50s.
• Veterans Preference Documentation: Veterans eligible under VRA (GS-11 & below only), VEOA, 30% or more Disabled, or Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program must submit the most recent Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions (e.g. DD-214) as listed on the SF15.
• If you are a Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all documentation as listed on the SF15.
• You may request a copy of the VA letter from ***
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): You must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment, verifying the Position Occupied 1-Competitive Service (block 34); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of employment claimed; i.e., performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating or employment period.
• Special Appointing Authorities: If you are applying under a special appointing authority (i.e. Schedule A, Peace Corps, Military Spouses, etc.), you must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.
• If you fail to submit proof, you will not receive consideration.
• If you're eligible for an authority not listed, you are responsible for submitting the appropriate documentation for that specific authority.
• Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal.
• To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified.
• For more information, please visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). **Continued in next section**

What to expect next

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position.

After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. You can find your path with the Department of Interior at *** Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration.

We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Additional information

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and supervisory recommendation.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (***) If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive.

The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.

Physical Demands/Work Environment: Work is performed in the field and in an office setting. Office work is sedentary. May be required to walk, stand, bend, and carry light items.

Field work may require long workdays that include walking, climbing, and carrying moderately heavy objects. May be required to operate tools and perform strenuous activities, as applicable. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the employee may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

Direct Deposit enrollment is required. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.