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Student Trainee (Biological Science)

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Water Resources Divison (WRD) Regulatory Branch
This job announcement has closed

Summary

About the Position: Position(s) will be filled under the Department of the Army Pathways Intern Program. Click here for more information on Pathways program participation.

The incumbent for this position will be assigned to the Water Resources Division - Regulatory Branch. For this internship, you must be able to work full-time.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/07/2019 to 02/21/2019
Salary
$29,847 to - $38,798 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Norfolk, VA
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Business travel may be up to 10% of the time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
SCER193556269782PI
Control number
523344900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

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

Duties

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  • Pathways Internship positions provide for development and training. Assignments become more responsible as incumbent increases knowledge and skills through work experience and academic training. At the full-performance level, you will be expected to:
  • Utilize computers and various software to create documents, charts, spreadsheets, reports, etc.
  • Travel to field sties to collect data for further analysis of assignment progression
  • Research and analyze reference materials to collect information for assigned tasks in support of project.
  • Assist senior level staff with aspects of project work involving environmental issues and natural resources for experience and exposure.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement upon acceptance.
  • The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions.
  • In order to be eligible for this position, all qualifying coursework must be completed by May 31, 2019.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Students who are eligible for participation in the Department of the Army Internship Program
Positions are open to current students pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution on at least a half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). Short-term training programs (e.g., several two-week programs completed) are not considered an academic course of study.

Internship for current students in good standing at an accredited education.

For this internship, you must be able to work full-time.

This intern position is designed to prepare a student trainee for employment after graduation as a . Interns will be assigned tasks designed to increase familiarity with the target occupation in a real world work environment.

Natural Resources Specialist/ Biological Scientist

This opportunity follows a standard promotional path:

  1. Internship selection will be made at the GS-04 with promotional potential to GS-05. These grade levels are what typical college students in their third academic year may qualify.
  2. Within 120 days after completion of Internship requirements, you may be eligible for conversion to the entry-level for the target occupation. Entry level for these positions are typically at the GS-07 level. The actual grade level at the time of conversion depends on academic achievement and other factors.
  3. The full performance level of this position is GS-11.
  4. Progression from the entry-level to the full performance level for this occupation will depend on successful completion of all requirements for promotion. Promotions may be considered after a year at each grade level, but are not guaranteed to occur on a specific time schedule.
See requirements for conversion to permanent or term position in the "Additional Information" section below.

To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-04, students must have completed two full academic years of post-high school study or have an associate's degree.

For qualification purposes, an academic year is computed as follows:
  • At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work.
  • For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school.
  • An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
  • When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

NOTE: If your college, vocational, trade, technical or high schools' definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will screened for academic qualifications based on the academic hours as defined in the bullets above.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Biological Field Investigation
  • Computer Literacy
  • Grade Point Average
  • Oral Communication
  • Writing

Education

For this internship, we are seeking a current student majoring in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position..

This occupation has specific educational requirements for entry and applicants must show evidence that their planned academic program will meet those requirements (i.e. transcript reflecting enrollment in applicable programs). Students who graduate without meeting those requirements may not be converted to the target position and could be separated from federal service. Educational requirements for conversion to the target position are:

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position

OR Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

This is a student internship opportunity. Your transcripts are a required part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Additional information

  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • This is a Career Program (CP) 16 - Engineers and Scientists (Non-Construction) position.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • 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..
Eligibility requirements for conversion to a permanent or term position. Interns must:
  • Be a U.S. Citizen at the time of conversion;
  • Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program prior to or concurrent with completion of academic requirements;
  • Complete their educational requirements (as specified in the announcement);
  • Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standard, including any applicable positive education requirement and/or selective placement factors and any other special qualifications requirements and conditions of employment (e.g. medical standards) appropriate for the specific competitive service position to which the intern will be converted;
  • Successfully complete all the requirements of the Internship Program as defined in the agency-participant agreement; and
  • Perform their job successfully as documented through performance evaluations and/or completion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP).

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 résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé 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.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Ideal Candidate, Strong and Eligible Candidate. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

  • Ideal: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the competencies of Oral Communication, Writing, Biological Field Investigation, Computer Literacy, Grade Point Average
  • Strong: This category will be used for those candidates who meet many of the criteria described above for the ideal candidate.
  • Eligible: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

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