Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army. About the Position:
This position is part of the Army Civilian Training, Education, and Development System (ACTEDS) and is a CIVILIAN position with the Department of Army. The incumbent will serve as a Biologist trainee with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
This is a Career Program (CP) #18 position.
Position(s) will be filled under the Department of the Army Pathways Recent Graduates Program.
Click here for more information on Pathways program participation. The Department of the Army Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Department of Army intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. After Program completion, Department of the Army Recent Graduates MAY be converted to a permanent position or to a term position (i.e. a project-based term of employment lasting between one and four years).
To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:
Successfully complete at least 1 year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
Demonstrate successful job performance.
Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.
Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years (or will complete no later than December 2017), a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
Preference eligible veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion.
Summary
Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army. About the Position:
This position is part of the Army Civilian Training, Education, and Development System (ACTEDS) and is a CIVILIAN position with the Department of Army. The incumbent will serve as a Biologist trainee with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
This is a Career Program (CP) #18 position.
Position(s) will be filled under the Department of the Army Pathways Recent Graduates Program.
Click here for more information on Pathways program participation. The Department of the Army Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Department of Army intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. After Program completion, Department of the Army Recent Graduates MAY be converted to a permanent position or to a term position (i.e. a project-based term of employment lasting between one and four years).
To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:
Successfully complete at least 1 year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
Demonstrate successful job performance.
Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.
Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years (or will complete no later than December 2017), a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
Preference eligible veterans who were precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion.
As a Biologist(INTERN) you will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:
Assist in conducting environmental assessments to achieve agency compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.
Assist in detailed site evaluations to establish base environmental conditions including identification of biota, characterization of the biological, physical, cultural and social phenomena present at the project site.
Assist in interagency coordination and collaboration on projects that may include field work, meeting participation, data entry, and preparation of correspondence.
Assist in the preparation of technical reports, maps, and the application of habitat evaluation procedures.
Assist in the development of procedures to implement directives from higher authority.
Incumbent works under closer supervision and works in a developmental capacity performing assignments and completing training, both of which are aimed in preparing the incumbent to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the duties outlined in the aforementioned job description. The incumbent receives progressively more responsible assignments as experience and training are received to the next higher level position.
See Other Requirements section for applicable conditions of employment.
Other Requirements:
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
Direct Deposit of Pay is Required.
Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination.
Personnel security investigation required.
If selected, official college or university transcripts must be submitted. However, unofficial transcripts must be submitted at the time of application.
Recent Graduates must sign a Participant Agreement with the Agency.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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 Requirement for Biologist:
A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Degree must be completed by December 2017.
OR
B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Specialized Experience: One 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. To qualify based on your work experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience which prepared you to do the work in this job. One year of specialized experience which includes assisting in the preparation of environmental assessments or environmental impact statements; or, evaluating compliance with environmental laws and regulations; or, performing field work to identify existing environmental conditions and factors that could impact those conditions. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).
OR
Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management or chemistry.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion or completion no later than December 2017 of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.). In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:
(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR
(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR
(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
Grade point averages will be rounded to one decimal point. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0, and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
NOTE: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your S.A.A. claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society and you must provide evidence of your class standing or honor society membership with your application.
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) by 18. Add the two percentages.
You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
Conscientiousness
Flexibility
Learning
Oral Communication
Teamwork
Education
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience.
Foreign education must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency in order to be considered for this position. You must include documentation to support U.S. equivalency.
Additional information
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.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Noncompetitive promotion potential to target grade. This recruitment provides promotion opportunity to the target grade of the position without further competition when selectee is eligible and recommended by management.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The ideal candidate for this position has academic characteristics that demonstrate advanced capability to successfully perform the work of the announced position. Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of two quality categories: Ideal and Eligible. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.
Ideal Candidate: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the definition of an ideal candidate as described above. Criteria include a grade point average, internship or co-op, professional association participation, teamwork and communication. Eligible Candidate: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications of the position.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External).
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. Your resume:
Your resume may be submitted in any format.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
Transcripts: Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected, official transcripts are required. You MUST submit your unofficial college transcripts with your application to include transfer courses, credit hours and grades to calculate GPA, along with your graduation date. If you have graduated within the past 30 days and your transcripts have not yet been updated to include your graduation date, or you are graduating by December 2017, you must also include your graduation date, to include both month and year, on your resume, or provide a letter from your college or university with your graduation date. Applicants who fail to provide transcripts AND degree completion information (if degree date is not shown on the transcripts) will be marked as insufficient and will not receive consideration for this position. NOTE: School Audit Reports, Report of grades card, snap shot of web page of grades are not acceptable, and you will not be considered for position. See: Transcripts and Licenses
Applicants claiming Veterans Preference: to verify your preference claim you MUST submit supporting documents with your application package.
If you are currently serving on active duty: You MUST submit a certification from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date you apply to this opportunity. If you supply a certification at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. More information about Veteran's Preference is located on the Feds Hire Vets website. Please upload veteran's documents under the appropriate category.
If you fail to provide these documents, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/30/2017 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10081856).
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
The Department of Army provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the servicing civilian personnel unit. Your requests for reasonable accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
BG-APF-W4CMAA HQ DA USA CIV TRNG EDUCATION DEVEL
DO NOT MAIL
Rock Island, IL 61299
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "incomplete application" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External).
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. Your resume:
Your resume may be submitted in any format.
If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent." It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
Transcripts: Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected, official transcripts are required. You MUST submit your unofficial college transcripts with your application to include transfer courses, credit hours and grades to calculate GPA, along with your graduation date. If you have graduated within the past 30 days and your transcripts have not yet been updated to include your graduation date, or you are graduating by December 2017, you must also include your graduation date, to include both month and year, on your resume, or provide a letter from your college or university with your graduation date. Applicants who fail to provide transcripts AND degree completion information (if degree date is not shown on the transcripts) will be marked as insufficient and will not receive consideration for this position. NOTE: School Audit Reports, Report of grades card, snap shot of web page of grades are not acceptable, and you will not be considered for position. See: Transcripts and Licenses
Applicants claiming Veterans Preference: to verify your preference claim you MUST submit supporting documents with your application package.
If you are currently serving on active duty: You MUST submit a certification from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date you apply to this opportunity. If you supply a certification at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. More information about Veteran's Preference is located on the Feds Hire Vets website. Please upload veteran's documents under the appropriate category.
If you fail to provide these documents, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/30/2017 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10081856).
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
The Department of Army provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the servicing civilian personnel unit. Your requests for reasonable accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
BG-APF-W4CMAA HQ DA USA CIV TRNG EDUCATION DEVEL
DO NOT MAIL
Rock Island, IL 61299
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "incomplete application" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
