Realty Specialist

Summary

You will serve as a Realty Specialist Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, California-Great Basin Region, Division of Resource Management. GS-07: $55,934-$72,7716 per annum GS-09 $68,419 - $88,949 per annum GS-11: $82,780-$107,620 per annum First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Duties

• Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Reviews land use, land exchange, contract renewals, terminations, cancellations, and assignments in accordance with established or approved policies, and other Bureau of Reclamation technical requirements. Negotiates, prepares, and processes appropriate instruments to allow use of land by other Federal, State, local government agencies, public and private corporations, Native Americans or individuals on, within, or across Reclamation withdrawn or acquired lands. Negotiates terms of acquisition and agreements and prepares land exchange and sales contracts, warranty and quitclaim deeds, etc., for the acquisition or disposal of land. Reviews and interprets various survey data and land description deeds, title reports, take-off sheet information (transfers of data to project plans), drawing, and tabulation records. Conducts required investigations, negotiates, and processes land and water right acquisitions and disposals. Negotiates terms of disposal of property, prepares contracts of sales, and issues sales notices for excess Federal/agency land. Draws up bidders list and explains the realty procedures to qualified bidders, as to legal description, gross and irrigable acreage, rights-of-way acreage, sales prices, exceptions, restrictions, covenants, terms, conditions, and bid receipt closing dates. Opens and renders bid offers. Explains legal costs, terminology, and conditions to buyers. Conducts investigations and searches of local courthouse records and consults with State, county, and city officials, Bureau of Indian Affairs representatives, water districts, and landowners to negotiate realty contracts. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/29/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, 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. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience may include: researching and applying real estate policies and/or guidance to process property transaction documents; reviewing legal descriptions; preparing or assisting in preparing deeds and/or lease instruments; creating or collecting geographic representations and/or analyses; verifying the accuracy of maps and/or data; researching real property such as government facilities and land; preparing and administering government contract documents, editing technical documents to meet established criteria for content. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successfully completion of 1 full year of progressively higher-level graduate education in a field that is directly related to the duties of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. You must include transcripts. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement: Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grad-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society. -OR- Combination of education and experience: You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience may include: experience evaluating, preparing and processing several types of routine property transactions (such as permits, leases, easements, licenses, transfers, exchanges, acquisition contracts, disposal documents); identifying and reporting instances of unauthorized use of government land or property; negotiating routine or standard property and land-use agreements with landowners, land users, project proponents, or government officials; researching records to obtain vague real estate and property information; analyzing and evaluating the merits of land-use requests; working with community planners and developers to develop land and facility use documents. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of Master's Degree or equivalent or at least two full academic years of graduate education related to the occupation, or a master's or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D. Directly related graduate study may include, but is not limited to business administration, accounting, governmental budgeting, and/or public administration. (Two years of graduate education is defined as 36 semester hours). You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience: You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level: Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience may include: performing rights of use or acquisition and disposal activities; or reviewing realty actions to ensure compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), or Use of Land, Facilities, and Waterbodies. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M., if related. Directly related graduate study may include, but is not limited to business administration, accounting, governmental budgeting, and/or public administration. (Three years of graduate education is 54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours). You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience: A combination of qualifying specialized experience and directly related graduate level education (both as described above) that, when computed as percentages of their respective requirements, equals at least 100% when combined. Only education beyond the second graduate year (36 semesters) is creditable to meet this standard. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts. 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.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Travel is required occasionally to perform job duties. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. Probationary period. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 09/29/2026--unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13057375 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.