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Ecologist/Botanist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
HQ, Directorate of Resources and Planning (HQ200), Division of Forest, Range and Vegetation (HQ220)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This office is located in Headquarters Washington, DC. The duty location of this position will be remote at the selectee's residence.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
01/02/2025 to 01/06/2025
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$105,383 to - $137,000 per year

Salary shown is the Rest of the US pay table; salary will be determined by your assigned duty station.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple - Temporary promotion / Detail will be for a period not-to-exceed thirteen (13) months. This temporary promotion / detail may be extended without further competition; however, it may not exceed a total of five (5) years.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
HQMP-25-12658287-EG
Control number
826559000

Duties

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  • Serves as the primary point of contact for any issues or discrepancies related to the assigned project, study, or assignment.
  • Serves as a recognized scientific expert and authority for botany/plant ecology/restoration ecology to other scientists, professionals, managers, and program specialists.
  • Develops and prepares technical or scientific research for publication in peer reviewed journals.
  • Leads or assists in the development of DOI/BLM technical manuals and technical notes as necessary.
  • Administers, develops, and manages the budget for botany/plant ecology/restoration ecology program/projects, including but not limited to, tracking spending, distributing funds, and identifying funding opportunities and procurement options.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required. Direct Deposit Required.
  • Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • May require a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity. Specialized experience is defined as reviewing, interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating ecological data to support informed decision making by authorized offices.

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.

Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the announcement.

Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.

There are no qualification requirements for a detail assignment. However employees must meet any positive education/licensure requirements in order to be detailed to positions with these requirements. Detail assignments do not include additional compensation and the selectee will not earn time-in-grade at the higher grade level.

Education

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire.

This position has a positive education requirement.

When applying to Ecologist - 0408 Series: Degree in biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.

When applying to Botanist - 0430 Series: Degree in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany. Evaluation of Education: Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying.
OR
Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit: www.dhs.gov/e-verify

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

Travel, per diem, and lodging will not be paid. All travel and lodging expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employee.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 341.

This is a not-to-exceed 13 months detail/temporary promotion assignment. At the expiration of this assignment, or whenever your services are no longer needed, you will be returned to your position or to a position of equivalent pay and grade within your agency of record.

How you will be evaluated

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

Please limit your resume to 5 pages; If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your qualifications.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

Botany - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of plants, including structures and functions, classification, taxonomy, plant communities, distribution, habitat requirements, life histories, reproduction, conservation, and care of plant species.

Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Financial Management - Prepares, justifies, and/or administers the budget for program areas; plans, administers, and monitors expenditures to ensure cost-effective support of programs and policies; assesses financial condition of an organization.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants must provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant must provide a written explanation as to why.

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