Being Age 55 or Older is Good for The Environment! The Agricultural Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) Program offers unique opportunities in Scientific, Technical, and Agricultural support for individuals aged 55 and over to support the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through a grant administered program awarded to National Experienced Workforce Solutions (NEW Solutions). This is a unique program where your talents, expertise, and experience will truly be valued. The ACES program provides an opportunity to work side-by-side with NRCS staff that are doing important work every day. Benefits: Paid Health Insurance Premium for positions budgeted at 60+ hours per pay period, Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave, Paid Federal Holidays, and optional Vision and Dental Insurance available for positions budgeted at 35+ hours per pay period. NOTE: Positions listed here do not guarantee employment for any definite period. Enrollment in the Experienced Worker Programs administered by NEW Solutions is temporary. The enrollment relationship between NEW Solutions and the Enrollee is an "at-will" relationship. This means that an Enrollee is free to terminate enrollment at any time during the enrollment period, and NEW Solutions and the Agency have the right to terminate the relationship with the Enrollee. NOTE: An ACES Enrollee? is not a federal employee, nor an employee of NEW Solutions. An ACES Enrollee is a participant in a grant program established through a Cooperative Agreement funded by the USDA-NRCS and administered by NEW Solutions. Please note, this opportunity applies to applicants legally eligible to work in the United States.
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Qualifications:
Minimum of 15 year(s) of experience in natural resource management and/or urban conservation planning. OR BA/BS Degree in Natural Resources related, Agriculture, Conservation, Environmental Studies or related to the area of performance.
- Valid State Driver's License
- Experience required with Windows, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access
- MS Office Suite Programs
Duties:
Responsibilities associated with this position include support of overall Urban Conservation and agriculture initiatives in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Activities include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and People's Garden Initiative. Tasks will generally consist of meeting with agricultural producers and partners to gather information, assist others, collect data, modify or prepare limited conservation plans, designs, and apply accepted conservation practices, prepare reports, coordinate and communicate with conservationists, engineers, customers, and other NRCS personnel and partners.
- Conservation Planning Assistance: Assist Landowners/Producers with the layout and design of plans for conservation practices/plans approved and funded. The assistance may include the development of cost estimates, schedules with construction deadlines, quality performance requirements, contract modification support, contract status reviews, project documentation, and payment application support. Provide training to staff in the completion of the above-mentioned activities. 25%
- Urban Conservation Practice Application: Prepare guidance to Landowners/Producers for the application of beneficial urban and soil conservation practices. Practice application includes but is not limited to field investigations, topographic site surveying, practice analysis and design, layout, construction inspection, and development of plans. Practices shall include, stormwater runoff, urban gardening, and access control, but are not limited to those practices shown in this Plan of Work. 25%
- Program Support: Provide technical and administrative support, recommendations, and implementation assistance on a wide range of Farm Bill programs. This may include but is not limited to conservation planning and application assistance, development of cost lists, ranking criteria, contract development, status reviews, certification of practices, processing payment documents to the State Office, case file management, and general administrative activities. 25%
- Contract Status Reviews and participant follow-up: Conduct contract status reviews for cost-share contracts selected by the district conservationist. Ensure that practices are implemented timely and work closely with participants to implement practices on schedule. Update contract plans and complete modifications as necessary to ensure practices are on schedule and implemented according to policy. 25%
Other:
- Annual information system security, anti-harassment, and civil rights training.
- Travel Requirements: occasionally to satisfy duties of the position.
- Health and Safety Considerations: Duties may require being outdoors exposed to a variety of conditions as heat, cold, rain, snow, etc.
- Required Safety Gear: Sturdy safe walking shoes/boots suitable for rough terrain. Employee should wear clothing suitable for inclement weather when necessary. Proper safety certification and required precautions used when operating an ATV.
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