Landscape Architect, US Dept. of the Interior - San Francisco, CA

SALARY RANGE:	$81,460.00 to $105,897.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:	Wednesday, February 20, 2013 to Wednesday, March 06, 2013
SERIES & GRADE:	GS-0807-12
POSITION INFORMATION:	Full Time - Term NTE up to 4 year
DUTY LOCATIONS:	Few vacancies in the following location: San Francisco, CA United StatesView Map
WHO MAY APPLY:	United States Citizens

JOB SUMMARY:

Applications will be accepted from all United States Citizens.

The employees of the National Park Service care for the special places that are the heritage of all Americans.  Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources.

Experience your America and build a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service.  The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

This position is a Term-seasonal (subject to furlough) position. A Term-seasonal position includes all benefits of permanent employment, but does not provide for employment on a year round basis and also has a Not to Exceed date of 13 months from date of appointment and may be extended up to a total of 4 years.  In this position, the employee will be guaranteed work at least 26 weeks, but not more than 50 in a service year. Dependent upon park workload needs and funding, individual positions may work more than 26 weeks. When services are not required, employee will be placed in a non-pay status.  When in pay status the employee will work full-time (80 hours per pay period).

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies.

Full Performance Level: GS-12

Please read the entire announcement before you apply.

Note: This position is concurrently open under Announcement Number GOGA-1303-833704-DE-sq under delegated examination procedures for Permanent-career seasonal (subject to furlough) appointment.  Click here https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/337933700 to view that announcement.

KEY REQUIREMENTS



• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Background and/or security investigation is required.
• All documents must be received by closing date.
• Social Security Number is required to process your application.

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DUTIES:

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Major Duties:  Provides landscape planning, design, consultation and project management services for work in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  Work program will have an emphasis on planning and design of signature trails projects in partnership with Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and other program partners. Projects include site analysis and development plans, studies and reports, cultural/historic landscape evaluation, at both the master planning and detailed site planning levels. 

Leads a multi-year partnership program of trail planning, design and construction, with a focus on signature trails associated with the GGNRA Trails Forever program. Coordinates with park managers and program partners to define and manage program projects. Prepares or manages preparation of plans, design and construction documents for planning and landscape architecture projects, with an emphasis on trail planning and design.  Independently manages landscape/planning-related projects from inception through completion. Provides consultation and technical advice on a variety of park projects involving landscape planning/design, including historic landscape components and features. Projects involve close coordination with representatives of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, other park staff and managers, other agencies, environmental and community organizations and the public, throughout the planning/design/construction process.

Position Location: Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, California

Please visit http://www.nps.gov/goga for park information.

Please visit http://www.sfgov.org/ for specific area information.

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QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

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To meet the Basic Requirements for this position applicants must have a degree in landscape architecture or landscape design.
OR a combination of education and experience -- for each year short of graduation, the applicant must have had 1 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.

For further information on qualifications and experience equivalent to a Degree in Landscape Architecture visit:
http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/landscape-architecture-series-0807/
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above applicants must also possess one year of specialized experience.  Specialized experience is experience with planning, design and construction management of multi-modal trails and trail related facilities in both urban and rural / natural park or similar settings.  Experience must also include planning, design and project management in Cultural Landscape settings such as National Register Historic Districts or their state or local equivalent.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants are responsible for providing documentation that the applicable educational provisions have been met.  To qualify based on education you must submit a legible copy of transcripts or list of college courses with your name, school name, credit or semester hours, major(s), and a grade-point average or class ranking.  Official transcripts are required upon selection if you qualified based on education.

Education must have been obtained from an accredited or pre-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.  Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

For further information on creditable education visit: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html andhttp://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information on the qualification requirements can be viewed on the OPM web site at: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications

Your application will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic job requirements.  In addition, we will evaluate your responses to the attached online Assessment Questionnaire to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for the position.  To preview the Assessment Questionnaire click here: View Occupational Questionnaire

The Assessment Questionnaire is designed to measure your ability in the following competencies needed to successfully perform on the job:

KSA 1 - Ability to manage park planning, design and construction projects with a focus on multi-modal trail planning in sensitive resource settings. 
KSA 2 - Professional knowledge and experience in the field of landscape architecture, with skills in trail planning, design and construction management and working in cultural landscapes. Knowledge of the theories and practices of sustainable landscape design and of cultural landscape analysis, evaluation and treatment. 
KSA 3 - Ability to serve as Contracting Officer's Representative and Agreements Technical Representative or equivalent contract manager on multiple and varied planning, design and construction and architect/engineer contracts,
KSA 4 - Ability to effectively communicate orally/Interpersonal Skills, ability to make effective presentations, facilitate group discussion, resolve conflict and conduct structured public involvement.
KSA 5 - Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
KSA 6 - Skill in organization, record-keeping, project management and information management including ability to use computers and specialized application software to manage projects and information.

Basis for rating:

Applicants who meet the qualification requirements specified above for this position will be evaluated, and a score assigned, based upon the responses provided on the job specific questionnaire that is required as part of the application process for this position.

Applicants who meet the qualification requirements based on responses provided in the Applicant Assessment Questionnaire will be placed in one of three categories:   Best-Qualified, Well-Qualified or Qualified.   Within these categories, applicants referred to the selecting official that are eligible for Veteran's Preference will receive selection priority over Non-Veterans.

Please do not sent application materials directly to the recruiting Human Resources Office.  You must follow the instructions below on how to apply.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Once the basic qualifications have been met, you will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of this position.  The evaluation will be based on information you provide in your on-line resume and how it supports the  knowledge, skills, and abilities questions for this announcement, and a review of the application material requested as part of this announcement.

You must provide information about your experience and/or education that supports the answers you give in the assessment questionnaire, and the KSAs required for this position.

You will be scored based on your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire.   We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire.   If you rated yourself higher than supported by your application materials, your score may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.   Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

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BENEFITS:

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The Federal Government offers a number of exceptional benefits to employees.  The following web address is provided as a reference to explore the major benefits offered to most employees:  http://www.usajobs.gov/EI/benefits.asp  

OTHER INFORMATION:

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:- Applicants must possess a valid state driver's license.
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service Law.
- Applicants must possess a valid state driver's license.
- Physical demands: Work requires both sedentary and physical activity.  While a sizable portion of the work is normal office work, field work involves walking over rough, uneven terrain, hiking, climbing, crawling, recurring bending, crouching, stooping and other more strenuous activities.
- Work environment: The incumbent's office work is performed in a standard office environment and is considered non hazardous.  Some fieldwork may be performed in deteriorated and neglected sites with unstable structures and ruins, which may be hazardous.

CTAP/ICTAP - Qualified individuals applying based on special priority consideration rights under 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.  To be considered well-qualified for this purpose, you must clearly meet all qualification requirements specified for this position including any selective factors, and must also clearly meet the fully satisfactory or equivalent level for each of the rating factors (knowledges, skills, abilities, and competencies) required for this position as specified above. Individuals claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP.  This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location.  Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.

You can apply for a non-competitive appointment if you meet the basic eligibility requirements and you are eligible for special appointment such as those authorized for the severely disabled; certain Vietnam era and disabled veterans; returned volunteers from the Peace Corps or Vista, etc. Please indicate the type of special appointment you are seeking, if any, on your application and follow all other instructions for applying shown in this announcement.

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HOW TO APPLY:

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To apply for this position , provide a complete application package, which includes:

1. Your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire, and

2. Your resume and any other supporting documents specified in the Required Documents section below.

A complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on Wednesday, March 06, 2013.  We do not accept hard-copy or email application packages.  You must apply online or via fax (see instructions below). 

Applying Online:

- To begin the application process on-line, click on the Apply Online Button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJobs account.  Follow the prompts to complete the Assessment Questionnaire.
- Please be sure to click on the Submit My Answers button at the end at the process.
- Note: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application you may use the following link: https://applicationmanager.gov/
- To fax supporting documents you are unable to upload, complete this cover page, http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the Vacancy ID: 843956. 

Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

Applying via fax:

- Click this link View Assessment Questions to view and print the Assessment Questionnaire

- Print the 1203FX form found at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/opm1203fx.pdf to provide your response to the Assessment Questionnaire

- Fax the completed 1203FX form along with your resume or application and any required documentation to 1-478-757-3144.  The 1203 FX will serve as your cover sheet. 

How to verify your application materials have been successfully submitted:   

1. Go to https://applicationmanager.gov/ and log in using your USAStaffing Application Manager User Name and Password.

2. Verify that your questionnaire, resume, and supporting documents were submitted successfully by clicking on the appropriate vacancy id ( 843956).

3. Verify that all of your documents were submitted by reviewing the table. 

If an item (Type of Document) on the table appears with a status of "OK", that Item was successfully submitted. 

For additional information on this announcement, contact:
Name: Shanti Quintero
Phone: 415-561-4774

Note: If you receive an email stating that there was a technical problem uploading your documents, you should fax the applicable documentation to OPM at 478-757-3144.  Be sure to use the fax cover sheet that was linked in the vacancy announcement; include the appropriate Vacancy ID Number (843956) so that the fax is processed properly and promptly. For further questions regarding applying online or by fax, please contact OPM at ApplicationManagerHelpDesk@opm.gov .

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

1. Resume (complete with documentation that supports your questionnaire responses).

2. Transcripts to support education requirements

3. DD-214 - If you are claiming Veteran's Preference, you MUST clearly identify your claim on your application and provide specific required evidence such as: Members Copy 4 of your DD-214, "certificate of Release of Discharge from Active Duty", or Standard Form 15 (SF-15), "application for 10-point Veteran's Preference" and proof requested on the form.  Failure to submit appropriate supporting documentation will result in NOT granting Veteran's Preference.

All required documents must be submitted by the closing date (Wednesday, March 06, 2013).  Failure to submit required documents, if applicable, will result in loss of consideration.  You will not be contacted for additional information.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Human Resources
Phone: (415)561-4770
TDD: 800-833-6384
Email: GOGA_STAFFING@NPS.GOV

Agency Information:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
DO NOT SEND MAIL
TO THE PARK
San Francisco, CA
94123

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once your complete application is received, we will verify your responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire against your resume and other supporting application materials you submit, and your final score will be assigned.  Based on applicant scores, the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.  You will be notified when a referral has been made and what the final outcome is.  We expect to make a selection within 45 working days of the closing date of this announcement.