Survey Technician

Duties Responsibilities listed are reflected at the full performance level of GS-9.
Incumbent performs a variety of technical land survey duties related to locating, marking, and maintaining boundaries and corners for land management activities on National Forest System lands.
Plans technical cadastral surveying projects, including preparing and coordinating preliminary project plans, specifications, and estimates for proposed projects.
Obtains needed landownership status and corner status records.
Evaluates information for evidence of any conflicts in title or potential issues that could affect the planned survey project.
Maintains, calibrates, and adjusts instruments and equipment used to carry out survey project activities.
Provides technical guidance to other survey technicians in use and maintenance of survey tools and equipment.
Carries out technical land surveying project activities.
Selects the most efficient survey approach from among the various alternatives, resolving concerns that arise in the course of the planned work activity.
Takes measurements and collects, organizes, and summarizes data.
Prepares a variety of reports, drawings, and survey plats for completed projects.
Performs computations to validate and refine survey data in order to determine the location of property boundary lines and property corners, route location/alignment, traverse closures.
Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a U.
S.
Citizen or National.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
The work environment includes terrain that may be steep, uneven, rocky, and covered with thick and tangled vegetation.
Temperatures and weather extremes may range from very hot and dry to cool and extremely wet, rain, snow, wind, or dusty.
The work environment requires the incumbent to stay alert continually and to take special safety precautions including wearing special protective items of clothing.
The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, rocky, or slippery surfaces.
The work requires recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, climbing, or similar activities; recurring lifting of light to moderately heavy items weighing less than 50 pounds; and/or regular visits to a variety of outdoor sites.
Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience: the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed.
This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary, or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time.
Incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes.
This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.
Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS 7: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6); OR one full year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position (such as: surveying, engineering, construction, or industrial technology); OR combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience.
The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Qualifying Specialized experience is defined as meeting at least one of the following: Operated and maintained a variety of manual and electronic devices such as transits, theodolites, levels, distance measuring and positioning equipment, or other instruments used on land surveys; Utilized a variety of surveying related equipment and GPS equipment to perform surveys and prepare associated documents and reports; Independently measured uncomplicated surveys and resolved technical problems; Assisted in performing basic surveys, such as location, right-of-way, and property surveys for a segment or portion of a project; Determined angles, distances, and differences in elevation between stations.
For the GS-08: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7); OR two full years (36 semester/54 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level education or master's degree if the coursework is directly related to the work of the position (such as: surveying, engineering, construction, or industrial technology); OR combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position (in excess of 18 semester/27 quarter hours) and specialized experience.
The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Qualifying Specialized experience is defined as meeting at least one of the following: Operated instruments and equipment, and made minor adjustments to such instruments, in order to locate land, property corners, and boundary lines; Identified or verified corners by inspection, testimony of landowners, and in comparison with references or by survey using original and resurvey recorded data; Performed varied surveys, such as location, right-of-way, and property surveys for a segment or portion of a project; Utilized a variety of surveying related equipment and GPS equipment to perform surveys and prepare associated documents and reports.
For the GS 9: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-8); OR two full years (36 semester/54 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level education or master's degree if the coursework is directly related to the work of the position (such as: surveying, engineering, construction, or industrial technology); OR combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position (in excess of 18 semester/27 quarter hours) and specialized experience.
The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
Qualifying Specialized experience is defined as meeting at least one of the following: Helped plan and conduct various types of surveys using an advanced knowledge of surveying; Prepared schedules, organized and executed the details of limited survey projects and activities; Applied a practical knowledge of the basic theories and practices of surveying; Used resourcefulness, initiative, and independent judgment in resolving the details of projects; Prepared field notes, reference maps and sketches for surveying analysis; Processed, evaluated, and edited electronic field data for entry into a computer aided mapping, design, and analysis system.
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 job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information Applications will expire in 90 days.
To remain in consideration, you must resubmit your application.
Duty Location: LOCATION NEGOTIABLE AFTER SELECTION.
Multiple positions will be filled at a Forest Service Office across the Intermountain Region.
Final determination of duty location will be determined by the selecting official at the time of the job offer.
To see where these Forest Service Offices are located, click Region 4 - Forest & Grassland Offices (usda.
gov).
Click each region to see the different locations.
This announcement will be used to fill permanent full time positions and/or positions with a seasonal work schedule where full-time work is guaranteed for 13 pay periods, placing you in non-pay/non-duty status for the remaining 13 pay periods.
The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project.
Under this authority, any U.
S.
citizen may apply.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.
CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.
If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management.
However, promotion is not guaranteed.
The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates.
Additional information is available at https://www.
opm.
gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/ Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.
THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT.
This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur.
Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied.
Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at https://fsoutreach.
gdcii.
com/Outreach.
Field work is usually in areas of variable mountainous terrain and extreme temperature variation.
These locations are often remote with limited vehicular access and wilderness type settings.
Benefits 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.
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan.
Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category.
You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category.
This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire.
Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible.
Please follow all instructions carefully.
Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
To view the application form, visit: https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12104619 Benefits 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.
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.
Required Documents As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits.
Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.
You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc.
Encrypted documents will not be accepted.
Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the responsibilities section including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.
If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education as equivalent to U.
S.
education standards.
There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service.
All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions.
If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment.
Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.
The SF-15 should be included but is not required.
Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference.
For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
How to Apply Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process.
Read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.
m.
Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged.
We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00a.
m.
- 4:00p.
m.
(MST), Monday - Friday.
If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method.
All hardship application packages must be returned to Human Resources no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order for it to be entered into the system prior to the closing date.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis.
Contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, in USAJOBS click "Apply" and follow the instructions to attach your resume and required documents, complete the assessment questionnaire, and submit your application.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred.
However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents.
Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Agency contact information HRM Contact Center Phone 1-877-372-7248 X2 Email HRM_Contact_Center@usda.
gov Address USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Albuquerque, NM 87109 US Next steps Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official.
If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.
You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.
g.
If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete.
Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc.
Encrypted documents will not be accepted.
Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the responsibilities section including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.
If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education as equivalent to U.
S.
education standards.
There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service.
All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions.
If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment.
Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.
The SF-15 should be included but is not required.
Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference.
For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS.
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Help This job is open to Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.
Clarification from the agency Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) eligible applicants and the public.