On-the-Spot Hiring Program for entry- level Rangeland Management Specialists (0454) and Technicians (0455), and Natural Resource Specialists (0401) at the 63rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show for the Society for Range Management (SRM), Denver, Colorado, Fe

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20240October 21, 2009In Reply Refer To:4000, 1400-361 (220) PEMS TRANSMISSION 10/26/2009Information Bulletin No. 2010-002To:                   All Field OfficialsAttention:  DSDs for ResourcesFrom:               Division Chief, Rangeland ResourcesSubject:           On-the-Spot Hiring Program for entry- level Rangeland Management Specialists (0454) and Technicians (0455), and Natural Resource Specialists (0401) at the 63rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show for the Society for Range Management (SRM), Denver, Colorado, February 7-11, 2010                                       DD:  11/27/09This Information Bulletin (IB) is to inform District Offices (DOs), Field Offices (FOs), and State Offices (SOs) of the intent to coordinate an Agency On-the-Spot Hiring Program for entry level Rangeland Management Specialists (0454 series), Natural Resource Specialists (0401), Rangeland Technicians (0455) at the 63rd SRM Annual Meeting and Trade Show, Denver, Colorado, February 7-11, 2010.  Recruiting for positions within other job series may be considered depending on identified hiring needs.The division of Rangeland Resources (WO 220) is working with the Denver Federal Center - BLM National Operations Center (NOC) Human Resource Specialists to permit BLM to noncompetitively hire on-the-spot qualified entry-level applicants for permanent positions under the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) and the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), and temporary hires under the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP).  This Agency On-the-Spot Hiring Program is scheduled to take place at the 63rd SRM Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Denver, Colorado, February 7-11, 2010.Each year, for the past three years, SRM meetings have provided a venue for successful Agency On-the-Spot hiring opportunities for students and young professionals.  Human Resources Specialists will be available in Denver to review and qualify applications and initiate the hiring process.  In addition, this year for the first time, interested candidates will be able to submit applications in advance of the meeting using http://www.usajobs.gov/, in efforts to streamline the application review and qualification process.  Hiring officials may either schedule on-site interviews at the meeting or by phone.  The FOs and SOs are being asked to consider participating in this once-a-year program.  More information is presented below and at: http://www.rangelands.org.Several Federal agencies (U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the BLM) have successfully coordinated On-the-Spot Hiring programs at the SRM annual meetings in past years.  The BLM first participated in this program at the 60th SRM Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada, and successfully interviewed 24 candidates, filling 9 Rangeland Management Specialist (RMS, 454 series) positions.  Applications were primarily received from graduating seniors representing 15 different universities and colleges.  Following the February 2007 meeting, another five applicants were successfully hired by BLM offices from the qualified candidate list generated during the program.During the 61st SRM Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY, 22 applications primarily from graduating seniors representing 15 different universities and colleges were received.  Eleven qualified applicants were hired in positions representing 11 different FOs and 5 different states.  Following the February 2008 meeting, another two applicants were successfully hired by BLM offices from the qualified candidate list generated during the program.The BLM held its third On-the-Spot Hiring program in conjunction with the 62nd SRM Annual Meeting and Trade Show in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The response was very strong, with over 70 qualified applications being received, including several highly skilled veterans and minority candidates.  All 18 FCIP vacancies offered were successfully filled including 10 Rangeland Management Specialist (0454 series) positions from 10 different FOs representing 5 states.  Other positions offered and filled included two Wildlife Biologist (0486 series) positions, one Natural Resource Specialist (0401 series) position and two Range Technician (0455 series) positions.  This was the first year that SCEP vacancies were offered and all three positions were successfully filled.  Following these meetings, another eight candidates were selected from the candidate roster for additional FCIP positions.Federal Career Intern Program[d1] The FCIP program was created under Executive Order NO. 13162 and the hiring authority permits recruitment at regional or national levels.  In accordance with 5 CFR, part 302, veterans’ preference must be applied when filling excepted service positions.  Successful candidates are typically offered entry-level positions and may be converted to permanent status after two years of acceptable internship.  During the internship, work assignments are designed to provide an orientation to the agency and offer progressive on-the-job specialized work experience and training targeted to the full-performance duties of the position.  For more information, please visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website.On-the-Spot Hiring ProcessThe entire On-the-Spot Hiring process averages three to four days from Sunday to Wednesday during the SRM annual meeting.  The BLM will be present at the Rangeland Job Fair and Career Development Workshops on the first Sunday of the meeting and circulate job outreach notices, as well as explain the agency hiring process to interested participants.  BLM Human Resource Specialists review the on-site job applications received by Monday noon.Beginning on Monday, thirty-minute interviews are scheduled typically for qualified applicants.  Interview panels normally consist of managers, program leads and /or specialists that are delegated hiring authority, with one individual representing each job vacancy.  At the completion of the interviews, the intent is to make tentative offers to exceptional candidates for all available positions by Wednesday afternoon.  The formal hiring offer for each candidate is contingent on acceptable reference and background checks and is the responsibility of the local (hiring) office.New Approach for 2010This year the BLM will try a new approach, where individuals can submit applications on-line through http://www.usajobs.gov/ up until one week prior to the JOBFAIR.  This should allow for the majority of applications to be reviewed and individuals deemed qualified in advance of the meetings.  This will allow for the scheduling of on-site interviews for qualified applicants in advance of the meeting.  This will also allow for hiring officials to set-up phone interviews for qualified applicants who are unable to attend the meeting.  On-site applications will still be accepted on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at the BLM JOBFAIR booth.  More details on the application submission process for this program will be forthcoming.Additional Hiring AuthoritiesIn addition to the FCIP, current degree seeking students can be hired at this event through the following authorities:

• Student Career Experience Program (SCEP)

A non-competitive authority for hiring students currently enrolled in an accredited vocational, high school, undergraduate, graduate, doctoral degree or certificate program.  Upon satisfactorily completing this program, the student can be converted noncompetitively into a career or career-conditional permanent appointment.

• Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)

The STEP authority is the same as the SCEP authority above, except it does not have the conversion to permanent provision.  Students in this program can be converted to the SCEP authority, noncompetitively at any time.For more information on these hiring authorities, please visit: https://www.blm.gov/careersHow to Participate:If you have a vacancy, you would like to recruit and interview at this event please email the following information to Linda Coates-Markle, BLM Liaison to the Society for Range Management, Division of Rangeland Resources (WO-220) at lcmarkle@blm.gov: 

• Position title, series and grade.  Please provide the full performance level of the position in parentheses (e.g., Range Management Specialist, GS-454 5/7/9/(11))
• Duty Station, District and Office
• Contact Information: name, email and phone number of designated hiring official
• Position description and signed SF-52
• Office and community information (about a one-page description)
• Any additional incentives that may be offered on an office-by-office basis (e.g., government housing, on-site child care, hiring bonus, Student Loan Re-payment program, financial assistance to cover moving expenses)

This information will be compiled and distributed to about 40 different colleges and universities offering programs in range management and/or science throughout the country.  This information will also be posted on the SRM website (see below) and http://www.usajobs.gov/ for up to two months in advance of the SRM meeting.  Individual offices are also encouraged to advertise their positions locally during this period.  For more information about this program, please visit the SRM website at: http://www.rangelands.orgFor more information about the SRM Annual Meeting, please the website at: www.rangelands.org.Any office wishing to participate in this program must indicate their intent to do so and provide the required information by Friday, November 27, 2009.  Due to this year’s new approach using on-line applications, all job series must be identified in the final vacancy outreach notice, which will be developed shortly after November 27, 2009.   Signed by:                                                       Authenticated by:Robert D. Roudabush                                     Robert M. WilliamsDivision Chief                                                Division of IRM Governance, WO-560Rangeland Resources