Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

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• Organize and complete ecological, biological or forestry studies in coastal ecosystems, wetland ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems and in the laboratory.
• Research projects may include studies detailing the benefits of ecosystem restoration, assessments of ecosystem functions and impacts of invasive species on ecosystems.
• Perform ecological site assessments including inventories of flora or fauna, and assessments of wetland vegetation, hydrology, and soils.
• Laboratory activities utilizing mesocosms and analytical equipment to investigate ecosystem processes in a controlled setting, and sample processing and analysis will be accomplished using standard analytical techniques.
• Manage field and laboratory data using spreadsheets or databases, assist with planning studies and conducting basic analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and maintain equipment used to conduct wetlands research.
• Assist with the preparation of technical reports and peer reviewed journal articles, based on the results of the ecological studies and will have opportunities to report study results at scientific conferences, workshops and other venues.
• Responsible for preparing documents either as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or Government Purchase Card (GPC) or to assist with the preparation of acquisition documents.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires pre-employment financial disclosure and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R at the full performance level.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 10% of the time.
• Appointment to this position is subject to a two- year probationary period.
• Work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts such as: outdoor conditions involving moderate exposure to rain, cold/hot weather, etc. May work on various platforms including piers, towers and boats.
• A valid US Driver's License is required.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI)
  • Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
  • Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible
  • People with Disabilities, Schedule A
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Reinstatement
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Education Requirements

For 401 Series: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/

For the DB-2 Level: You must meet the Basic Education Requirement above

For the DB-4 Level: Specialized experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience organizing, executing, and conducting field and laboratory studies focused on various ecosystems and the biological communities within them and experience collecting data, analyzing data, and writing technical reports and journal articles for studies focused on biology, wetland ecology, forest ecology, and/or soil science.

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Biology, Ecology, Forestry

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Communications
• Computer Skills

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent DB-2 (GS-4) and DB-4 (GS-11).

All qualification requirements, including time after competitive appointment, must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

This position is covered by the Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Project at the DB-2 (equivalent to GS-05 to GS-11) target to the DB-04 (equivalent to GS-12 to GS-14) level. If selected at the DB-02 level, you have the potential to be non-competitively promoted to the DB-04 level based on successful performance in the position.

In accordance with the Federal Register Vol.63, No. 57, dated March 25, 1998, and employee of the Laboratory Demonstration project must have a current average performance score of 2.5 or above in order to be selected for promotion.

All applicants currently employed under a Laboratory Demonstration Project must include their most recent performance appraisal score as part of their electronic resume. If you are a Lab demo employee submitting your resume for the first time, or if you have previously submitted your resume without your most recent score, you must submit your resume now with the following statement to be included in the section on your training: Current Performance Rating is 2.5.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. 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 when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.