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Biological Science Technician (Natural Resources)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The primary purpose of this position is to perform a variety of complex and recurring technical duties individually or as a crew member or leader, in support of unit resource management.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Posted 07/21/21
Location
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$16.90 - $16.90 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Temporary
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
22-TEMP1-R1-2736-5DT-KL
Control number
608318900

Duties

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  • Performs a variety of routine and frequently complex tasks involving techniques and practices relating to natural resources, i.e., water, land, food, plants, animals, and soils. Assignments support field projects and program planning activities.
  • Independently, or as part of a team, makes browse surveys; takes and records data, counts, sorts, identifies species, and performs measurements.
  • Analyzes information; prepares reports of findings with appropriate recommendations; assembles information for development of natural resource plans and coordination of resource need information for analytical reports.
  • Utilizes topographic maps; photographs, and data that identify a variety of natural resource areas and conditions. May drafts maps or diagrams of survey areas.
  • Utilizes a variety of tools to collect and record data such as numbers, measurements, weights, samples, and special notes. Keeps records of all data and develops these into statistical reports.
  • Identifies and classifies principal natural resource types in assigned geographic areas. Collects natural resource samples and makes determinations, such as species identification, habitat condition, injury, disease.
  • Makes qualitative observations of injury and disease and makes recommendations for resolution of problems.
  • On an individual basis or as a crew leader, constructs or completes habitat projects such as watershed development, fencing, or clearing areas to establish more desirable food or cover habitat.
  • Participates in developing new or improved prevention practices relating to conditions and findings of natural resource areas where information and data have been collected.
  • Assists in layout of field experiments, pilot projects, impact evaluations, and specific natural resource projects.
  • Assists in determining validity of survey or evaluation techniques. Suggests improvements of methods and techniques.
  • Is fully responsible for compliance with safety rules and regulations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
  • 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.
  • Must be 18 years of age
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-Verify

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

GS-05: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 grade level; OR a bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school (120 semester/180 quarter hours) with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics and at least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to the position to be filled.; OR combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.

Examples of specialized experience include: Utilizing topographic maps, photographs, and data that identify a variety of natural resource areas and conditions; using a variety of tools to collect and record data such as numbers, measurements, weights, samples, and special notes, and making determinations for easily identifiable corrective action; and preparing data summaries in proper format.

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.

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

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2022 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between October 10, 2021 and December 19, 2021.

This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.

This position is not eligible for telework.

Bargaining Unit Status: Eligible - Coverage is dependent upon unit location.
Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.

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 in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

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

Forest Service

A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation's most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies.

It's an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center
Phone
1-877-372-7248 X2
Email
SM.FS.FSJobs@usda.gov
Address
USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

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