Landscape Architect

Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

Landscape architecture Specialist with advanced training in principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques of preserving cultural landscapes. Preserving a landscape's physical attributes, biotic systems, and its historical significance. Research defines features, values, and associations of landscape historically significance; planning identifies issues and alternatives for long-term preservation; and stewardship involves condition assessments, maintenance, and training.

This job is open to

Duties

Responsible for the identification, research, planning, treatment, and preservation maintenance of cultural landscapes. Performs landscape architectural duties associated with review, design, treatment, and monitoring of cultural landscapes. The project sites may have diverse climatic, geographic, and environmental conditions. Represents the superintendent when working with others on matters of historical landscape architecture. Develops and maintains liaisons and effective working relations with related groups and individuals, agencies, and the public. Attends management and professional conferences and other events for the purposes of exchanging information, presenting technical and policy information, and advancing advocacy for park and partner stewardship. Identifies research needs and suitable research designs and conducts or oversees various levels of documentary research and field investigation. Conducts on-site investigations of project sites to determine the feasibility of proposed projects, including the development of design alternatives and subsequent analysis to ensure the project is consistent with NPS policies, guidelines, and standards and environmental and cultural compliance laws and regulations. Conducts and coordinates cultural landscape research projects related to the identification, documentation, analysis and evaluation, and treatment; conducts research involving historical documents, photographs, maps and drawings, and related items to develop knowledge of and data about specific cultural landscapes, such as period design concepts, land use patterns, cultural traditions, and historic plant materials. Prepares and maintains cultural landscape inventories documenting the location, historical development, condition, and management of cultural landscapes in the park. Prepares cultural landscape reports on existing conditions and defining treatment actions based on examination of the landscape, documentary research, and professional evaluation of data; and prepares other written reports, graphic illustrations, and plans associated with managing cultural landscapes. With park management, negotiates cooperative and interagency agreements and other cooperative instruments needed to effectively carry out resource stewardship goals. Prepares or oversees preparation of scopes of work that clearly define the objectives and requirements of the project for A/E design or documentation services. Examples of such projects include cultural landscapes inventory, cultural landscape reports, existing condition drawings, and design services for treatment work. Participates in negotiations with A/E firms, including development of detailed cost estimates of major work items. Designated as Contracting Officer's Authorized Representative during the course of design contacts. Ensures contractual requirements, including technical adequacy, design excellence, and project schedules are met. Reviews contractor shop drawings, samples, and material certification for contract and performance compliance and recommends them for approval or rejection. Incorporates appropriate GIS technology into job to provide comprehensive and scientifically sound answers to inquiries from managers and others. Uses automatic methods of data collection, analysis or illustration. Inputs data into digital form and uses computer applications for data analysis, manipulation, and presentation. Performs professional review and assessment of plans, comprehensive designs, preliminary designs, special studies, and layouts prepared by other entities for accuracy, adequacy, and compliance with historic preservation policies, guidelines, laws, and regulations as they relate to cultural landscapes. May be responsible for or make significant contributions to historic preservation documentation and background materials for clearances, permits, licenses, etc., as required by Section 106 and Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Archeological Resources Protection Act, NPS Management Policies, and cultural resources management guideline for planning and construction projects that involve cultural resources. Reviews projects initiated by park staff and makes recommendations for approval to managers. Carries out program management duties by developing work plans and schedules, scopes of work, cost estimates, and proposals and/or grants to justify funding requests and accomplish goals. Administers and tracks project funds and prepare accomplishment reports, as needed. Maintains awareness of applicable funding sources within NPS and outside. May represent park on NPS regional task groups or similar organizations. Makes presentations in partner sites, public gatherings, and professional meetings.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. Obtain and maintain a Professional Engineering or Architecture license.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/19/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

Basic Education or Experience Requirement for Landscape Architect (Historical) GS-0807-11 (Screen-out)
A degree in landscape architecture or landscape design, you must provide transcripts.
OR
Combination of education and experience, for each year short of graduation, one year of experience under professional leadership and guidance of such character and diversity as to be a satisfactory substitute for the required education. This experience must have included original landscape design.

- AND -
To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of specialized experience could include: drafting, preparing and/or coordinating cultural resources projects and/or strategies for the resources management plan and/or specific actions plans pertaining to the management and protection of cultural resources; such as: designing simple to complex multi-disciplinary projects such as developing or rehabilitating campgrounds, housing areas, entrance stations, visitor centers, primary roads, bridges, transportation systems, administrative development areas, parking and bus facilities, large outdoor areas or large restoration/re-vegetation areas; planning projects or design projects in cultural landscape settings such as National Register, or in Historic Districts or their state or local equivalent. You must include hours per week worked.
-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. You must include transcripts in your application.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. TFor example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience) and 18 directly related graduate level semester hours of related education (50% of the education requirement) would qualify an applicant for this position. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

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

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

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