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Biological Science Technician (Natural Resources)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located Pacific Northwest Region, Region 6 and is located on Umpqua National Forest, Tiller Ranger District, Diamond Lake Ranger District, North Umpqua Ranger District

The primary purpose of this position is to perform a variety of complex and recurring duties in support of various Natural Resource programs.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Joseph Blanchard at Joseph.Blanchard@usda.gov and review the "Next Step" Section below.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/30/2021 to 09/17/2021
Salary
$35,265 to - $56,790 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
3 vacancies in the following locations:
Glide, OR
Idleyld Park, OR
Tiller, OR
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Full time seasonal work schedule where full-time work is guaranteed for 18 pay periods
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
21-R6-11218204-G-SR
Control number
612504000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligible, Farm Service Agency permanent county employees, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas and Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, Reinstatement, Public Land Corps, Resource Assistant Program, and VRA eligible candidates.

Duties

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  • Duties are listed at full performance grade level.
  • Collecting samples, establishing tests and control plots, as necessary.
  • Compiling and summarizing data obtained from aerial and ground surveys including natural resource monitoring, evaluations, and pilot tests conducted as part of the project.
  • Taking photographs to record resource damage.
  • Providing the data to professional personnel after checking it and developing explanations for unusually high or low figures or figures that seem inconsistent.
  • Schedules, organizes, and executes field projects for detecting, identifying and evaluating natural resource problems.
  • Assists with development of reports after higher graded employees have refined and verified the data and analyzed the results.
  • Using prescribed procedures, the incumbent resolves common administrative and safety concerns related to the project.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or 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.
  • Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov

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.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-5 level: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Utilized topographic maps, photographs, and data that identify a variety of natural resource areas and conditions; used a variety of tools to collect and record data such as numbers, measurements, weights, samples, and special notes, and made determinations for easily identifiable corrective action; and prepared data summaries in proper format.
OR
A bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school (120 semester/180 quarter hours).
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 with courses related to the occupation of the position.

For the GS-6 level: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Analyzed natural resources information, and prepared reports of findings with appropriate recommendations; Utilized topographic maps, photographs, and data that identify a variety of natural resource areas and conditions; Collected samples and recording data such as numbers, measurements, weights, samples, and special notes, and made determinations, such as species identification, habitat condition, injury, disease.
OR
One full year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position.
OR
Combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

For the GS-7 level: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as one or more of the following: Detected, identified and evaluated natural resources problems; compiled and summarized data obtained from Ariel and ground surveys; collected samples, established test and control plots; conducted routine analysis.
OR
One full year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position.
OR
Combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

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

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 creditable education in lieu of specialized experience.

Additional information

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.

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).

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the 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 and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with the Forest Service. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met.

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.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed.

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

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing may be available.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/.

This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

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 competencies listed below:

  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application
  • Writing


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.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you 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 or disciplinary action.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11218204

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