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Horticulturalist

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Hampton National Historic Site
This job announcement has closed

Summary

As a Horticulturalist, you will serve as a specialist on the practices of landscape management for the Hampton National Historic Site.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/13/2020 to 07/22/2020
Salary
$72,030 - $93,638 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Towson, MD
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position 1 - 5 nights per month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DE-10854531-20-NM
Control number
573062400

Duties

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  • Applying a variety of laws and policies for the long-term preservation of the landscape's historic features
  • Planning, coordinating, and implementing landscape preservation maintenance
  • Designing landscapes using established design parameters
  • Caring for a variety of woody plants, flowering and fruit trees, and subshrubs - both exotic and native to the landscape
  • Identifying and managing plant insects and pests, as well as exotic and invasive plant species
  • Planning and directing the work to be accomplished, including identifying resources need and providing technical guidance to volunteers and temporary employees
  • Conducting evaluations of a landscape in order to draft technical specifications for restoration projects and prepare ecological assessments

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • You are required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication
  • A valid state driver's license is required.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

Qualifications

In order to be qualified for this position, you must meet both the basic educational requirement and the minimum qualifications.

Basic Educational Requirement
A. Possess a Bachelor's or higher degree inhorticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post harvest handling of horticultural crops. - OR -
B. Possess courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Note: Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, and similar courses may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in basic plant sciences listed below. The 16-semester-hour requirement in horticulture includes course work in basic horticulture and course work related to any of the recognized subject-matter fields of horticulture, i.e., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, nursery work, seed production, or course work in related areas of science, such as micro-biology, entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, or genetics that is directly related to horticultural work.


Minimum Qualifications
A. Possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-9 in the Federal service, applying established horticultural techniques and professional practices to design and maintain a landscape; surveying conditions (e.g. abundance of pests, invasive species, etc.) to recommend steps to protect/preserve the natural landscape; and preparing a variety of reports for management on natural resource program progress or recommendations. - OR -
B. Possess three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PhD in Horticulture or another field closely related to plant science or natural resource management. - OR -
C. Possess a combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate level education as described in B that, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. (Please note: only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used in this calculation).

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' hiring authorities visit the Feds Hire Vets website.

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

This announcement may be used to fill one or more positions.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made if you are within reach of selection and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into 3 categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, Qualified.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
  • Horticulture
  • Invasive and Exotic Plant Management
  • Landscape Ecology
  • Natural Resource Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Pest Control
  • Project Management
  • Writing

National Park Service

Experience your America and build a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service, as we prepare for a second century of Stewardship and Engagement. Become a part of our mission to connect with our past and create important connections to the future by building a rich and lasting legacy for the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates. A park can be many different things to many different people. Find your park today!

Agency contact information

Philadelphia Services Branch
Phone
215-861-3074
Email
philadelphia@opm.gov
Address
Hampton National Historic Site
535 Hampton Lane
Towson, MD 21286
US

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