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Ecologist GS-0408-11

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Are you an Ecologist interested in working with the Federal Government?Do you want to be part of an important aspect of the Federal Government, helping with exciting and groundbreaking initiatives? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then this is the job for you! Come join the USGS and start doing the job you've always dreamed of!

Why Is It Great To Work For The USGS?
Embark on an exciting future! From the peaks of the highest mountains to the depths of the deepest seas, the U.S. Geological Survey has career opportunities that make a difference in both the lives of others and in the environment. Would you like to join the more than 10,000 scientists, technicians, and support staff of the USGS who are working in more than 400 locations throughout the United States? Apply today! As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems. The diversity of our scientific expertise enables us to carry out large-scale, multi-disciplinary investigations and provide impartial, timely, and relevant scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers related to: the health of our ecosystems and environment; natural hazards that threaten us; natural resources we rely on, and; the impact of climate and land-use changes. For more information about the USGS please visit http://www.usgs.gov

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

This is a term appointment for which all qualified applicants with or without Federal status may apply and be considered. Appointment to this position, however, will not convey permanent status in the Federal service and will be for a period not to exceed 13 months with possible extensions up to a total of 4 years without further competition.

Salary: $60,210 (Step 01) to $78,270 (Step 10); NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
02/21/2018 to 02/28/2018
Salary
$60,210 to - $78,270 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Moab, UT
FEW vacancies
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Average of up to 3 nights per month of travel required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - Full-Time
Work schedule
Full-time - Term
Service
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Announcement number
DEN-2017-0299
Control number
491947000

This job is open to

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Duties

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As an Ecologist within the Southwest Biological Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Plan the approach and data collection, including leading field crews of 1-3 people, to carry out less complex ecological studies or portions of larger investigations.
  • Work with set up, maintenance, and use of highly sophisticated field equipment to measure plan physiological response to climate manipulation.
  • Gather, organize, conduct statistical analysis and interpret ecological and biogeochemical data pertinent to research studies and/or investigations.
  • Write report or scientific papers including, conducting literature reviews, reporting results, and preparing graphs and tables.
  • Operates a government vehicle as an incidental driver.
Physical Demands:

The work requires some physical exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities. The work requires moderate physical ability and average agility and dexterity.

Work Environment:

The work is performed in an office, laboratory and/or in the field. The office is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. Temperature and weather extremes may be encountered in the performance of the outdoor work. Field and laboratory duties may require the use of special protective gear. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as to not endanger self, fellow workers, or property with which entrusted.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year trial period.
  • More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  • Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
  • Selectee must complete pre-employment medical examination.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

  • Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
  • You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license and a copy of your driving record.
  • This position requires completion of a medical examination at Federal expense.
  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: https://www2.usgs.gov/humancapital/sw/quals/0408.html.

In addition to the basic education requirements, you must have 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Examples include:

For GS-11:

Three full years of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or the equivalent) or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in ecology, biology or other directly related field underlying ecological research if it provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position to be filled.

Or one year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology, biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

Examples of GS-9 level work may include: 1) using field equipment such as coring devices, water sampling devices and soil gas emission chambers) to conduct soil studies; 2) conducting vegetation analysis and community ecological sampling using common field methods; or 3) conducting statistical tests with biological data including analysis of variance, regression and multivariate analyses.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

  • 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.
  • Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/oars/quals/foreign.html.

Additional information

  • Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
  • Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
  • USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations.
  • The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
  • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
  • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

How you will be evaluated

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

Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:

  • Laboratory Techniques
  • Compute and Analyze Data
  • Scientific Records
  • Disseminate Data
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Leadership and Supervision
  • Collect Scientific Data
  • Scientific Instrumentation.
Basis of rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.

To preview questions please click here.

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