Land Law Examiner (Minerals)

Summary

You will serve as a Land Law Examiner (Minerals) with Bureau of Land Management analyzes land records to determine ownership, rights, and legal document validity. This position is also being advertised under a separate Field Unit Local (FUL) job announcement. Applicants who meet FUL residency requirements and wish to be considered under both hiring authorities must apply to BOTH announcements. To view the FUL announcement, search USAJOBS for announcement number: BLM-CO-FUL-26-13019702-MH

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: 2 vacancies will be filled primarily focusing on fluid minerals. 1 vacancy will be filled primarily focusing on solid minerals. Please see the major duties listed below for each of these position. Fluid Minerals: Processing and adjudication of record title and operating rights assignments include research and review of the assignments and related material to determine if it is in accordance with pertinent laws and regulations. Analyzing, researching and verifying entire and undivided interest in record title assignments and operating rights transfers for compliance with regulations, abstracts lessee interests. Determines that lease account status is in good standing using the Business Information System; and if deficiencies are identified, requests additional information. Researching BLM Records to verify acreage and legal land description. Preparing assignments for approval ensures case abstract reflects current interest holdings, and notifies appropriate agencies of approved assignment (e.g., surface managing agency, Office of Resources Revenue, etc.). Writing letters and decisions requesting additional evidence of further compliance with regulations and precedent decisions. Solid Minerals: Bond adjudication for surface management and mineral materials operations - this involves coordination with field offices, other agencies and operators to adequately manage reclamation and performance bonds for authorized operations. Work will focus on ensuring the bond is legally binding, fully funded and enforceable. Work will consist of intake, form verification, solvency checks, database and file management, riders and amendments, forfeiture notification and collection. Mining claim adjudication - this involves coordination with operators and interagency staff to adequately process filings. Work will focus on reviewing filings, verifying compliance with federal and state laws and timely coordination. Work will consist of preparing decision documents and or notices, requests for additional information or curative actions, land status determinations, responses to appeals, requests for missing or deficient fees, and database and file management. Minerals program support - this involves providing support for cross-functional areas in the Branch. Work will consist of providing support to the public room staff, the business administration staff and management for questions, inquiries, data calls and other relevant tasks. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1-2 nights per month. May be required to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment for the GS-09 and GS-11 positions. You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period -OR- 2-year trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances -year probationary period -OR- 2 year trial period the public interest. This 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. Additional Requirements located under qualifications

Qualifications

Requirements Continued... 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 -OR- trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/12/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized 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 periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. 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. To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Experience: To qualify, 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 is defined as demonstrated experience: Determining the accuracy and proper execution of applications or claims and the qualifications of applicants for legal rights as requested; Adjudicating routine lands, mining, or mineral leasing applications; Answering inquiries from the public or internal customers regarding public land laws and regulations; Preparing routine correspondence You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate level education. This includes or supplemented by 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples: include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week and transcripts. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): I have successfully completed all of the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position as described above from an accredited college or university, and meets one of the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement based on the following: (1) class standing (upper third standing in the graduating class of a college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses); (2) grade-point average (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; (3) election to membership in a national scholastic honor society (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your official transcripts that show a confer/completion date and any additional documentation to support your response to this question). Applicants applying under SAA must have 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. Transcripts must be provided. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: Experience: To qualify, 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 is defined as demonstrated experience: Processing and/or adjudicating basic lands and minerals cases; Researching and reviewing legal land descriptions and ownership status from various map and records sources; Using basic computer and software applications to handle data; and Communicating effectively with internal and external customers on routine topics. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D in a field of study such as land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week and transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level: Experience: To qualify, 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 is defined as demonstrated experience: Processing and adjudicating complex and unusual minerals cases; Researching, interpreting, and applying laws, rules, and regulations applicable to minerals cases; Interpreting legal land descriptions and ownership status from various map and records sources; Using a variety of computer and software applications to handle data and complete work assignments; and Communicating effectively with a broad range of internal and external customers to resolve complex problems. 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 LL.M., in a field of study such as land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week 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.

Evaluations

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 assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Administrative Law Oral Communication Surveying Technical Competence Technology Application Written Communication 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 additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. DUE WEIGHT: 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, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level.

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 08/12/2026 to receive consideration. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. 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/13015220 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 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. 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.

Other information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. 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. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. Related Non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.