Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Student Trainee Biological Science Technician

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Cowpens NB/Ninety Six National Historic Site/Kings Mountain NMP
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located in Ninety Six National Historic Site, in the Resource Management Division.

Temporary appointment not-to-exceed one year but m­ay be extended each year without further competition, if you continue to meet the eligibility requirements under the Pathways Internship program and funding is available.

Interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment, please click here for more information.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/20/2019 to 03/27/2019
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$14.30 to - $14.30 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Locations
Blacksburg, SC
2 vacancies
Gaffney, SC
1 vacancy
Ninety Six, SC
2 vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
SE-1630-NISI-19-10444465-DE
Control number
527813800

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions form high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.

Duties

Help

These positions are duty stationed at any Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park and Ninety Six National Historic Site, three of the parks that make up the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution Parks Group. The group also includes, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. All sites are located in the Piedmont region of upstate South Carolina. Cowpens NB and Kings Mountain NMP are located between Greenville, SC and Charlotte, NC. Ninety Six NHS is located approximately 70 miles from Columbia, SC and 65 miles from Greenville, SC and Augusta GA. All basic service including schools, medical and shopping facilities are located within a short drive of each park. There is a full range of housing for sale or rental in the area and the cost of living is considered moderate. Temperatures for the area range from very hot and humid in the summer to cool and moderate in the winter.
  • Collects and organizes field data.
  • Performs routine and recurring testing of collected samples.
  • Records all data collected and provides findings to a a higher graded technician.
  • Installs, operates, and maintains resource management equipment. (I.E. tools, traps, and sampling and other equipment.)
  • Utilizes a variety of computer programs to compile, reduce, store, retrieve, and report data and other resource management information.
  • Maintains and organizes computer databases.
  • Prepares a wide variety of correspondence, internal reports, and other documents from information obtained from office staff, files and other sources and reviews and finalizes documents prepared by others.
  • Conducts natural resource management field projects according to established methods and procedures.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Pathways participant agreement is required.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work evenings and weekends.
  • The entire period served under the Intern Program counts as a trial period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-4 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: Possess six months of general experience; PLUS
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Possess six months of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-3 level. Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Research activity or control program work; nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; Work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice.
You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. AT LEAST 6 SEMESTER HOURS MUST HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE POSITION TO BE FILLED. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include 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.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

You will NOT be considered under Pathways unless you provide supporting information from your school. Documentation may be provided in letter format from your academic advisor, school counselor, admission office, etc. to prove enrollment OR it may be provided in the form of several official documents from your school such as a copy of your official transcripts and a copy of your class schedule for next semester. Copies of documents from your school website are acceptable if they contain all relevant information as listed above. Letters from advisors or other school officials must be on school letterhead.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement which specifies the conditions of your employment as we've indicated in this job announcement. You must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of your appointment. To verify that you do, we will require proof of your continued enrollment and good standing each semester or grading period throughout your internship. Failure to do so will result in termination of your internship and employment.


Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

Working Conditions: The work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Field work includes exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligible within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Information Management
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.