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Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

For additional information about the BLM, please visit our website.

This position is located in Boise, Idaho.  Information about the surrounding area may be found here Boise.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/16/2019 to 05/29/2019
Salary
$37,223 to - $53,773 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 06 - 07
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Boise, ID
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required to attend trainings, conferences, workshops, and/or field visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Career Seasonal
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
07
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
ID-DEU-2019-0011
Control number
533891700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens – Open to Public, No previous Federal Service is required.

Duties

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This position involves the collection of wildlife habitat and vegetation data in support of the wildlife habitat management program in the Bruneau Field Office.  Incumbents should have ability to identify upland and riparian plants and when necessary, use taxonomic keys to identify plants. Monitoring locations exist in rugged, remote areas of southwest Idaho, with hiking required to reach some locations.  This position includes entering collected data into computer databases and writing reports in close coordination with the field office wildlife biologist to support multiple use management across the field office.  Major duties include:

  • Serving as a field crew member and/or crew lead in collection of vegetation and wildlife habitat inventory and data collection, and provides leadership to lower graded technicians.
  • Researches, compiles, and tabulates a full range of wildlife inventory data including but not limited to wildlife productivity, food habits, prey densities, and habitat distribution; analyzes findings and proposes project need in line with previous or ongoing efforts.  
  •  Enters and retrieves data from automated databases, including use of GIS and other corporate databases to map and extract population and habitat information.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is 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
  • Direct Deposit Required
  • Background Investigation Required

Physical Demands: Work requires some physical exertion such as bending and walking in terrain that is rough, rocky, mountainous and densely vegetated.  Required to lift and carry equipment necessary to efficiently perform the work of the position, and to provide for personal comfort and safety.  This can include tools, personal protective equipment, food and water for extended periods of work away from vehicles.

Work Environment:  Office work is performed in an adequately lighted, ventilated, cooled and heated area.  During field work is subject to cuts and bruises, extreme and adverse weather conditions, and injuries and discomforts from pests and animals.  Employee will adhere to all safety rules.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, more than one position may be filled from this announcement.

Responses to the online job-specific questions must be supported in your resume.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience Requirements:

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.  

For GS-6: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience are those which include administrative and management field relating to wildlife related work.

For GS-7: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) in the federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience are those which include researching, compiling, and tabulating inventory data for wildlife, fisheries, soils and/or plant resources; leading lower-graded technician/aids in the collection of field data; interpreting photographs; plotting sites; and processing samples and specimen.

Substitution of Education for the Specialized Experience Requirement:   GS-6 level, have one half year (9 semester hours) of Graduate education directly related to the work of Wildlife. GS-7 level, one full year of directly related graduate education (18 semester hours) meets the requirements for GS-7. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. Education and experience may be combined to meet the specialized experience requirement.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of 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 in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Additional information

May require completion of a 1 year trial probationary period.

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.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):  CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on a Reemployment Priority List, you may be given priority consideration.

If the position is filled at a lower grade level, subsequent promotion to the next grade level will be processed without further competition dependent upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.

This is a Career Seasonal appointment; it is expected you will work at least 6 months, but less than 9 months a year.  When work or funds are not available, you will be placed in non-pay status. (First year may be less than 6 month depending on the effective date of the appointment).

The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.  To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

This is a Bargaining Unit position.

How you will be evaluated

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

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If you meet the qualification requirements, you application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans.   In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored. The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position.

KSA #1: Practical knowledge of terminology, procedures, methods and practices of wildlife management field sufficient to accomplish standard task in support of wildlife.

KSA #2: Ability to identify the major wildlife species when conducting inventories.

KSA #3: Ability to use maps and GPS equipment to determine locations and posses the capacity to use computers to produce reports with graphics, produce simple maps, develop spreadsheets, and enter, retrieve and manipulate data.

KSA #4: Ability to work remotely and independently while using a variety of equipment to collect scientific data from the field and to analyze scientific data collected.


To preview questions please click here.

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