Landscape Architect

This GS-0807-09/11/12 career-ladder Landscape Architect position is located at in Springdale, UT.

Open to the first 50 applicants or until 12/31/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Be a successful applicant. Watch this to learn how to create or improve your federal resume.

Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

  12/21/2024 to 12/31/2024

  This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date.

  
  
• Salary

  $59,966 – $113,047 per year

• Pay scale & grade
  

  GS 9 – 12

• Location

  1 vacancy in the following location:

• Remote job
  

  No

• Telework eligible

  Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

  Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

  
  
• Relocation expenses reimbursed
  

  No

• Appointment type
  

  Permanent

• Work schedule
  

  Full-time

• Service
  

  Competitive

• Promotion potential
  

  12

• Job family (Series)
• Supervisory status
  

  No

• Security clearance
• Drug test
  

  No

• Position sensitivity and risk
• Trust determination process
• Financial disclosure
• Bargaining unit status
• Announcement number

  IM-1539-ZION-25-12627243-ST

  
  
• Control number
  

  825522400

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Videos

Duties

• 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.
• 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.
• 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. May
  administer and track project funds and prepare accomplishment reports, as needed. Maintains awareness of applicable funding sources within NPS and outside.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Physical Demands: The work is basically sedentary with occasional physical activity (walking, climbing, bending, stooping) during fieldwork, and may require visits to remote sites which require walking or riding over rough, uneven surfaces. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time.

Working Environment: The work is performed in both an office setting and occasionally in the field as required to perform on-site investigations and inspections.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG): Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments and must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) Level I or II Certification required at time of application. COR Level I required for GS-09 and COR Level II required for GS-11/12.
• DRIVER’S LICENSE: You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver’s license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator’s License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver’s licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
• WORK SCHEDULE: You may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, & overtime.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• TRAVEL: You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to1night per month to support Zion Group of Parks. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/31/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience . For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either “full-time” (or “40 hours a week”) or “part-time” with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position, you must meet (1) the Selective Factor, (2) the Basic Education Requirement, and (3) Specialized Experience.

SELECTIVE FACTOR : This position requires a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) Level I or Level II Certification depending on grade level, at the time of application. The COR Level I is required for the GS-09 position and the COR Level II is required for the GS11 and GS-12. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

– AND –

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS : All grades must meet the Basic Education Requirements based on OPM’s Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the Landscape Architecture Series 0807. In order to qualify, all applicants must meet one of the following BASIC requirements:

1. Degree: landscape architecture or landscape design.

-OR-

2. Combination of education and specialized 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.
-AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE : In addition to meeting the Selective Factor AND Basic Requirements listed above, all applicants must meet the Specialized Experience requirements for each grade level they are applying to, at the time this announcement officially closes.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level , you must possess at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Designing projects for developing or rehabilitating campsites, trails, accessible routes, trailheads, trail bridges, outdoor spaces, overlooks, parking areas, secondary roads, comfort stations, administrative structures, or small restoration/revegetation areas; Planning work or design work in cultural landscape settings such as those on the 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 2 years progressively higher graduate level education leading to a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree. Graduate level education is considered to be 36 semester hours. You must include transcripts with your application. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For 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. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level , you must possess at least one full year (52 weeks) 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). This experience includes activities 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.

-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-

COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For 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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level , you must possess at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience would include the development of landscape architecture project construction drawings, technical specifications, and cost estimates as well as project management of multiple concurrent projects as substantiated by my resume/application; knowledge of projects and standard processes – such as scope, schedule, budget, risk management, and communications; application of professional landscape architecture principles, practices, procedures of project development; managing contractors or other project team members and providing operational leadership principles and risk management regarding work safety. There is no education substitution at the GS-12 level.

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.

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level for this announcement.

Additional information

Please be sure to read the entire announcement, especially the REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS, and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS sections. If you are missing required information on your resume, or missing required documents, you may be found not eligible and/or not qualified.

is located in southwestern Utah. The climate is generally hot with daytime high temperatures ranging from 95 to 110 degrees in the summer, and 55 to 10 degrees in the winter. Nighttime lows range from 65 degrees in the summer to 10 degrees in the winter. Minimal shopping is available in Springdale, Utah, located two (2) miles from Park Headquarters. A full range of shopping, medical, dental, religious, and recreational facilities are available in Hurricane (25 miles), St. George, (45 miles), and in Cedar City, (63 miles), Utah. Elementary school (grades K-5) is available in Springdale, with bus service provided. Junior high and high school is available in Hurricane, with bus service provided. Utah Tech University is located in St. George, and Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City. Due to the desirable nature of the area surrounding Zion National Park, please be sure to research and understand the limited housing options and the area’s cost-of-living.

Park/Government housing is not available for this position.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position’s supervisor.

Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Documentation for the eligibility: You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance consistent with your SF-50s.

• 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. .

  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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated ‘ineligible’, ‘not qualified’, or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Contracting/Procurement
• Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Project Management
• Technical Competence

In order 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 an additional assessment, a subject matter expert (SME) resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

• 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. .

  
  
  

  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 and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/31/2024.

  Failure to submit any of the below-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.

  
  
  
  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week . If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Your resume must clearly show how long your have held each grade in a federal position.
  2. Complete All Required Assessments.
  3. College transcripts.
  4. Documentation that you meet Selective Factors, such as proof of COR Level I or Level II Certification.
  5. Merit Promotion Eligibility Documentation such as:
     • Federal employees or former federal employees must submit a copy of their latest or last SF-50 “Notification of Personnel Action” reflecting career or career-conditional status in the competitive service, shows position title, series, grade and an additional SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held, if not reflected on your latest SF-50. Examples of acceptable SF-50s include: Promotion, Within Rate Increases (WRI/WGI), or Appointment SF-50s. Do not submit an Award SF-50. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. Your last Federal performance appraisal plan for your last position must reflect a rating of Fully Successful or equivalent. If the SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess the one-year time-in-grade, as required by this announcement. In this instance, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one-year
     • Veterans Preference Documentation (e.g. DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter as appropriate)
     • Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
     
     
  6. Performance Appraisals and Awards:
  7. • ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THIER MOST RECENT PREFORMANCE APPRAISAL showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor. If submitting a performance appraisal not dated within the last 18 months, a statement as to why it is the most recent must be submitted. If no performance appraisal is available, applicants must submit a statement as to why it is not available (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level).
     
     
  
  

  Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:

  • • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the . If you don’t have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the .
    • 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.
    • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the , and if applicable, a completed . You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
    
    
  • Documentation for consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, 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 rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
  • Noncompetitive or Special Hiring Authority. Applicants who are eligible to be considered based on a Noncompetitive or Special Hiring Authority (i.e. Schedule A, VRA, Peace Corps, AmeriCorp Vista, former PLC member, certain Military Spouses, 30% or More Disabled Veterans, etc.) must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.
  
  

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  
  
  

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from .

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Source ⇲