Natural Resources Specialist

Summary You will serve as a Natural Resources Specialist with Bureau of Reclamation. Learn more about this agency Duties Help 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. Requirements Help Conditions of employment Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary 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 or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications 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. Education This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. 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: Additional information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. 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 recommendation by the position's supervisor. 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. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a Student Loan Repayment Benefit (SLRB). The decision to offer an SLRB will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. Related Non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). 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 Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. Bureau of Reclamation