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Interdisciplinary Ecologist/Botanist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Region 6, at the Supervisor’s Office of the Siuslaw National Forest in Corvallis, Oregon.

For additional information about the duties of the position, please contact Tere O’Rourke at 541-750-7015 or email at theresebradford@fs.fed.us

The incumbent serves as a Program Manager and Staff Specialist for the Forest Botany program and will be responsible for leadership, coordination, planning, and implementation of the program.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/08/2018 to 02/26/2018
Salary
$77,929 to - $101,308 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Corvallis, OR
1 vacancy
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Weekly travel to Ranger Districts on the Forest for meetings and trainings may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Basic moving expenses with discretionary expenses: Entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. In addition, the following relocation benefits are available: house hunting trip, temporary quarters, and use of relocation services company.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
18-SVQ1-0612-454215-G-EG
Control number
490847700

This job is open to

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Duties

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  • Provides the principle source of ecologically-based botanical expertise supporting the Forest Land Management Plan, and other short and long range planning efforts.
  • Serves as internal and external Forest contact for botany and ecological restoration leadership.
  • Develops ecosystem and sensitive plant species information, management interpretations and implications, and standards and guidelines for Forest Plan Revision that may involve new methods and technologies where scientific literature and evidence is lacking.
  • Provides expert advice to Forest Supervisor, Resource Staff Officers, and District Rangers.  Develops and implements in-service educational programs for Forest personnel.
  • Serves as liaison between the Forest and the Regional Office and represents the Forest at meetings and workshops.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
  • Successful completion of a one-year probationary or trial period

No Additional Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement as defined below.  For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to:  http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp

0430-Botanist

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in: botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany.

OR

Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For positions dealing with the study of fungi, or with basic mycological relationships, the course work in botany must have included at least 6 semester hours in mycology.

Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying.  The courses required for mycologists are specific and must have been in mycology.

0408-Ecologist

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences.  These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional education and/or experience are required for the grade(s) specified.

GS-12 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Examples of specialized experience are: Implemented botanical programs; monitored and evaluated the effects of management decisions on forest land and surrounding communities; assisted with formulating and making recommendations for ecosystem management policies, plans, and programs; conducted environmental analysis and determined compliance with Federal, state, and local laws, policies, and regulations; provided input for short and long-term planning for budgetary and compliance requirements.

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.

Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

See above for education requirements for this position.

Additional information

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.

E-Verify: Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS E-VERIFY system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career- conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
 (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses and Schedule A Disabled may be found on the USAJOBS website.

This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

This is a bargaining unit designated position.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, IAMAW.

Government housing is not available.
Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. 

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:

  • Knowledge of the principles and concepts of botany 
  • Knowledge of ecology methods and techniques
  • Ability to communicate in writing
  • Knowledge of environmental analyses
  • Ability to communicate other than in writing
  • Ability to develop and maintain partnerships
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities need to meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.


To view the application form, visit: https://fs.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=9E3BDFED-9284-4552-9C6B-A88000EECFE5

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