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Natural Resources Specialist
Career Insights for Environmental Planner / Scientist
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Based on Colorado data
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What they do
An Environmental Planner or Scientist uses training and background in natural sciences to study the environment and threats to the environment. Investigates environmental problems and advises on solutions. May focus on potential environmental health risks to people, such as unsafe drinking water, or on protecting the environment and ecosystems from human activity such as development and industrial pollution.
$83,183 / year median in Colorado
+16% projected growth
Job Description
Degree:
Successfully completed a bachelor's or higher degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry, or another closely related field appropriate to this position. You must submit transcripts with your application.- OR•Combination of education and experience: Possess a combination of education and experience that includes courses equivalent to a major in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry, or another closely related field appropriate to this position, along with appropriate experience.
Specialized Experience Requirement:
One 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 experience applying environmental laws, regulations, and policies to support natural resource management and environmental compliance, examples include: preparing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation, such as categorical exclusion checklists, environmental assessments, or environmental impact statements; conducting environmental compliance activities related to Federal environmental laws; planning and conducting field studies, inventories, surveys, or site inspections; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental or biological data; reviewing environmental documents, plans, or project activities for compliance with applicable laws and regulations; and providing technical recommendations or guidance to support project planning, design, construction, or operations- OR•
Education:
Successfully completed at least three full years (54 semester hours) of graduate level education leading to a Ph. D or equivalent that is directly related to the work of this position. You must submit copies of your transcripts with your application.- OR•Combination of education and experience .
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. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/31/2026 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. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.https:
//www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification Additional information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. 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).Physical Demands:
The work requires regular field work to support environmental studies, site inspections, and project evaluations. Field duties require walking over uneven or rugged terrain, working in and around waterways and remote locations, and lifting or carrying equipment weighing up to 25 pounds. Travel to field sites and project locations is required.Work Environment:
The position combines office and outdoor field work. Field assignments may involve exposure to varying weather conditions, uneven terrain, water hazards, and other environmental conditions associated with construction sites and natural resource areas. Employees are required to follow established safety procedures and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when performing field duties. All Department of Interior (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, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. 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. 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. 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. How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. 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 any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates will be evaluated and placed into one of three quality categories based on the extent to which their knowledge, skills, and abilities meet the requirements of the position. Veterans' preference is applied in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. For professional and scientific positions at the GS-9 grade level and above, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are not automatically placed in the highest quality category. Selection will be made from the highest quality category in accordance with category rating procedures and veterans' preference requirements. Under Category Rating, candidates will be evaluated and placed into the following quality categories: Best Qualified- applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position Well Qualified
- applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job Qualified
- applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
Compliance, Conservation Biology, Data Interpretation, Field Data Collection, and Technical Competence To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a resume review conducted by a subject matter expert. The assessment will measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Required Documents The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/31/2026: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time) . Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank/position. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two 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 to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a
Federal Resume:
https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessments All college transcript(s) , if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Veterans Preference Documentation , if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP) If you are applying under I/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 visit:
USAJOBS Help Center- Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials
- you must remove your image from all documents.
- Apply in 2 days Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 31, 2026 Location 2 vacancies in the following locations: Durango, CO Grand Junction, CO No matching locations found. Work site options Telework eligible Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. Salary $74,678
- $97,087 per year Pay scale & grade GS 11 Promotion potential 11 Learn more about pay scale and grade Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job. Work schedule Full-time Travel Required Occasional travel
- You may be expected to travel for this position.