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Physical Science Technician

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: ALL US CITIZENS AND CTAP/ICTAP ELIGIBLES.

This position is located in Northeast Regional Office, in the Northeast Temperate Network Division. Please visit find a park for additional park information.

Hourly Pay Rate:
GS-05: $16.00 per hour
GS-06: $17.84 per hour

This position is a Full-Time temporary position not-to-exceed 1039 regular hours (about 6 months) in a service year. Position may be terminated sooner or extended depending on management needs. Individuals selected under this vacancy announcement are eligible for rehire in subsequent service years.
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Northeast Regional Office is April-October, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April, 2018.

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

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/12/2018 to 01/19/2018
Salary
$16 to - $17.84 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 6
Location
Bar Harbor, ME
1 vacancy
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 Hours
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Supervisory status
No
Announcement number
NE-1612-NERO-18-10113281-DE
Control number
488208400

This job is open to

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Duties

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This position is shared between the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program and the Resource Management team at Acadia National Park, working primarily in the water and air resources program. The incumbent may occasionally be asked to assist one of the other disciplines within the division of Resource Management, and will work either independently or alongside other NPS staff. Water resources work will include taking field measurements of water quality parameters such as pH, conductivity, temperature, clarity, dissolved oxygen, and water quantity (lake water level, stream discharge) in park lakes and streams; collecting water samples from lakes and streams for chemical and bacteriological analysis at contract labs, and collecting samples of benthic stream macroinvertebrates. Air resources work includes operational checks, maintenance, and calibration of visibility, particulate, deposition, and climatological sampling equipment.

The position also involves calibrating and maintaining equipment in field and lab sites, conducting simple laboratory analysis, entering information into electronic databases and spreadsheets, compiling and analyzing information for use in interim and annual reports. The incumbent may occasionally collaborate or communicate with other state, federal and private cooperators or researchers working with the park on monitoring programs or research investigations with air, water, wildlife, vegetation, and other resource programs. This position requires use of a variety of vehicles, equipment, and watercraft to conduct these activities.

The incumbent of this position primarily performs routine functions related to the collection of long term air and water resource data in the park. Individuals selected at the GS-06 level will perform routine duties such as instrument calibration, data collection, and data entry with more independence than positions performing similar work at the GS-05 level. Individuals selected at the GS-06 level may also be requested to independently complete summary reports related to air and water resource data.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.

  • Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Incidental Driving: You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided
  • Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: assisting with the implementation of natural resource management projects such as field surveys or inventories; collecting and recording scientific data using established techniques; and/or conducting research to gather information for use in scientific or technical reports. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in an appropriate field of physical science (e.g. chemistry, physics, engineering, etc.), or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following: physical science, engineering, or any branch of mathematics, except financial and commercial mathematics. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Take the number of semester hours in excess of the first 60 semester hours, and divide by 60. Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess at least of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: implements natural resource management projects such as field surveys or inventories; collecting and recording scientific data using established techniques including providing preliminary assessment of the information; and/or conducting research and running statistical analysis' to gather information for use in scientific or technical reports. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least: one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of a Physical Science Technician (e.g. physical science, engineering, or any branch of mathematics, except financial and commercial mathematics). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: The National Park Service's (NPS) policy on Less than 1040 appointments (also know as temporary seasonal appointments) has changed. Your service history will be reviewed to ensure compliance with current NPS Less than 1040 policy prior to you being offered a position in the Northeast Region.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Individuals selected under this vacancy announcement are eligible for the possibility of extensions or rehire in subsequent service years.

Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

Working Conditions: The work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Field work includes exposure to extreme weather and terrain conditions, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Hydrology
  • Research
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence

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