Soil Scientist

**Duties**:

- Provide technical leadership for the Area Soil Resource activities and ensures that quantity and quality of the work performed meets National Cooperative Soil Survey standards
- Conduct investigations to determine soil suitability for special crops, highways, structures, etc.
- Furnishes technical assistance on soils interpretations for urban, industrial, resource maps, and other general interpretive maps for specific land uses.
- Collect soil samples for special projects.
- Write technical and nontechnical articles dealing with technical soil services and delivery.
- Prepare documentation including soil profile descriptions, records data, and compiles field notes.
- Assist District Conservationists in education and information activities related to the public uses and understanding of soils information.
- Serve as trainer to provide instruction to NRCS personnel and other Soil Services customers in soil characteristics, properties, and limitations; use of soils in making land management decisions; mapping techniques; and other related areas.

**Requirements**:
**Conditions of Employment**:

- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instruction on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
- Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.

**Qualifications**:

- Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
- **Basic Education Requirement**:
**Combination of Education and Experience**:Courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences. At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
- **Applicants who meet one of the Basic Requirements listed above qualify for the GS-5 grade level.**
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**In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered for the GS-7 level**:
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- directly with other soil scientists. **_OR_**
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**Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience**: Successful completion of 1 year of graduate-level education in Soil Science or a related field of study; **_OR_**

**Combination of Education and Experience**: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages
- **Specialized Experience for the GS-09 Level**: To qualify for the GS-9 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. This experience is defined as (1) Conducting standard soil resource inventories and watershed restoration needs inventories; (2) Collecting soil samples for laboratory analysis to determine physical, chemical, an morphological characteristics; (3) Classifying soil properties according to appropriate standards; (4) Assisting in writing watershed restoration plans, erosion control plans, soil resources improvement plans, soil management reports, soil survey reports; **_OR_**

**Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience**: Two full years of progressively high graduate education or Master's or equivalent graduate degree in soil science or a related field; **_OR_**

**Combination of Education and Experience**: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.- 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