Natural Resource Specialist 1/2 (Pcn 10-1816)

What You Will Be Doing

Have you ever considered working for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to become more involved in managing state-owned public lands? If so, please consider this opportunity to join our team as a Natural Resource Specialist 1/2 flex within the Division of Mining, Land, and Water (DMLW), Southcentral Regional Land Office (SCRO), Leasing Unit, Shore Fishery Leasing Program. We are looking for a collaborative and positive team member with an interest in the management of public lands with a focus on state-owned tidelands used for commercial set net fishing.

Mission and Culture

DNR's mission is to develop, conserve and maximize the use of Alaska's natural resources consistent with the public interest. DMLW's mission is "to provide for the appropriate use and management of Alaska's state-owned land and water, aiming toward maximum use consistent with the public interest." SCRO contributes to these missions by issuing land use authorizations that allow for responsible development and use of state land while facilitating economic growth consistent with the public interest.

 This position will support the SCRO Leasing Unit, Shore Fishery Leasing Program by processing land use authorizations for commercial set net fishing activities but may also have the opportunity to work with other authorization types. Overall, SCRO strives to manage and balance the appropriate use of public lands held in trust on behalf of the public.

Core Responsibilities

The primary duties of this position will include adjudicating shore fishery lease applications, lease extensions, lease amendments, lease assignments, casefile upkeep, and a high level of communication (walk-ins, email, phone) with customers and other agencies. Other tasks associated include conducting field inspections, providing program administrative assistance, and writing competing application and protest decisions.

Benefits of Joining Our Team

SCRO is responsible for the management of Alaska's public lands and offers meaningful work in a supportive and flexible environment, with opportunities for training and professional development. The successful applicant will have training and travel opportunities as well as opportunities for advancement and will work extensively with the public and other agencies to support the responsible development of Alaska's natural resources. If hired at a lower grade, the NRS 1, the chosen candidate can advance non-competitively to the NRS 2 level once a training and flex plan is successfully completed.

The Working Environment You Can Expect

Located on the 9th floor of the Robert B. Atwood building in downtown Anchorage, our office has a positive atmosphere geared towards collaboration and teamwork.

It offers a beautiful view of the Chugach Mountain Range and free parking. The Atwood building is near coffee shops, restaurants, shopping, the park strip, and the Coastal Trail system.

Core office hours are 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, with a 7.5-hour daily work schedule. The Lands Section staff are located together in an office setting; each staff member has their own cubicle.  The daily routine for this position includes collaborating with team members on projects in all forms, decision-making, mentoring, and policy discussions.

This position's work environment will be primarily in an office setting. However, we offer hybrid teleworking opportunities and a flex schedule for all our staff. Though the primary duties of this position are largely office-based, there may be the opportunity to travel to provide community outreach and conduct field inspections.  

Who We Are Looking For

Our ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. All items listed below must be documented in your cover letter, please number your responses. If you do not have any experience with one of the items listed below, simply say so:

• Excellent customer service skills.

• Experience with file organization and managing multiple tasks.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills that clearly convey information to a specific audience.

• Ability to analyze a spectrum of documents, policies, procedures, actions, data, and information to identify issues relevant to decision-making and managing state lands.

• Ability to work independently, take initiative, achieve deadlines, and exercise sound judgment under general supervision.

Natural Resource Specialist 1 - Starting Salary $24.65

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

• Analytical Thinking/Problem-Solving: using a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one's knowledge and experience and calling on other references and resources as necessary.

• Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

• Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

• Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Education from an accredited college and/or experience in natural resource management.

Natural Resource Specialist 2 - Starting Salary $28.31

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

• Analytical Thinking/Problem-Solving: uses a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one's knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.

• Decision-Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.

• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.

• Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

• Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Education in a natural resource field (such as forestry, geology, agronomy, and hydrology), public administration, planning, economics, cartography, or a closely related field and/or professional-level experience in natural resource management.

Definitions:

"Competencies" means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.

"Professional experience" means work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment.

"Progressively responsible" means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.

"Qualified" means is assessed to credibly possess the competencies needed to learn the job in a reasonable period.

"Training" and "education" in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

"Typically gained by" means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.

Special Note:

For purposes of the minimum qualifications, natural resource management is defined as the management of the land, water, mineral, forest, oil, gas, agricultural, archaeological, natural and cultural history, park, and related surface and subsurface resources. Experience or education in natural resource management means involvement in the above resources exclusively.

Those with experience or education in managing these resources may specialize in different management functions (for example, planning, regulation, research or title). All of this experience is applicable to the natural resource management definition. Some positions may require education in a particular area of natural resource management or specific technical knowledge and training gained through specialized education or progressively greater responsibilities at the lower levels of the series.

NOTE: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY

THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY

This recruitment is open to Alaska Residents only. Applicants must meet Alaska Residency Requirements to be considered for employment at this time.

At the time of application,the applicant must attach as individual documents the following items (If unable to attach documents, please fax or email the contact listed below):

• Professionally formatted cover letter. Please see SPECIAL NOTICES below for more information.
• A copy of any documents necessary to show proof of meeting this position's minimum quali?cations. This includes a copy of your college transcripts if you are using education to meet the position's minimum qualifications.

If selected for an interview, the applicant must provide the following:

• A copy of your last two (2) performance appraisals or two (2) letters of reference if performance evaluations are not available.
• A list of three (3) professional references with current contact information, one (1) of which must be a former or current supervisor.
• A valid driver's license.

SPECIAL NOTICES

• COVER LETTER INFORMATION: A cover letter is required.
  
  The cover letter should highlight your knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience as they pertain to the responsibilities listed in the KSAs and competencies above. Also describe how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. Please attach the cover letter to your application before submitting it online. The cover letter will be used as a writing sample and will help determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment and selection process.
• FIELD WORK: This position requires some field work to conduct site inspections to verify authorization compliance or assist other DNR personnel with compliance inspections or site monitoring. This may involve travel to remote areas via small plane, ATV, snowmachine, or boat.         

Application Notice

You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or a hardcopy application.   Instructions on how to apply with Workplace Alaska may be found on the Workplace Alaska "How to Apply" page.

Your application must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on the closing date.

Education

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill out the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Work Experience

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer's name, job title, employment dates, and whether full or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine whether the responses are supported, and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the recruitment interview and selection phase.

Note: Attaching a resume is not an alternative to filling out the application entirely. Noting, "see resume" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination that your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

Bargaining Unit

If you are a current state employee, please mark the union you are a member of at the time of application. Do not complete this question if you are not a current state employee.

Flexible Staffing

This position is flexibly staffed. The level of the job offer will be based on the selected candidate's credibly possessed and proven competencies. If hired at the lower level, you will be promoted to the higher level after completing the training plan and demonstrating competency in the work.

Driver's License Requirement

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license. Proof of licensure will be required prior to reporting to duty.

EEO Statement

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or 465-4095 in Juneau or (907) 465-3412 (TTY) or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at P. O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.Workplace Alaska Application Questions & Assistance

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.

For assistance with your password, please visit the reset password page.

For specific information about this position, please get in touch with the hiring manager at the following:

Name: Kate Dufault

Title: Natural Resource Manager 1

Phone: (907) 269-8116  

Fax: (907) 269-8913  

Email: kate.dufault@alaska.gov