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BOTANIST

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.

One position is located in Vernal, Utah. Information about Vernal and the surrounding area can be found here.

One position is located in Price, Utah. Information about Price and the surrounding area can be found here.

We expect to fill 2 vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/22/2020 to 07/29/2020
Salary
$52,905 to - $83,210 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
Price, UT
1 vacancy
Vernal, UT
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
UTMP-20-10871685-BE
Control number
574278100

Duties

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  • Serves as a technical expert for the special status species (SSS) plant and natural plant community programs.
  • Writes Biological Assessments for Threatened and Endangered plant species.
  • Prepares management plans for the evaluation of potential botanical within ACECs and RNAs.
  • Provides input pertaining to vegetation management and plant ecology for oil and gas management.
  • Serves as the project lead to coordinate monitoring efforts between the District Office and the National Operations Center (NOC).
  • Involved in environmental planing actions and program development planning.
  • Provides guidance to the Field Office on plant inventories.
  • Uses GIS database to organize, collect, and maintain data.

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 Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • 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-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: participation in the planning and execution of plant studies; performing established tests and analyses on a broad range of plant samples; and mapping and documenting botany species; and preparing and/or reviewing reports on ecological investigations to determine project impacts on vegetation including T&E plant species.

-OR-

Education: To qualify based on education you must have two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in the field of botany or directly related field of study.

In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: evaluating proposed projects or actions for impacts to vegetation including T&E species; developing and implementing conservation methods for plant species and habitats; planning and executing botanical investigations under the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act rules and regulations; recommending course of action to solve botanical issues; and create, evaluate, and review vegetation GIS data.

-OR-

Education: To qualify based on education you must have 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a directly related field of study.

Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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 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. Time-in-Grade requirements for the GS-09 level is 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. Time-in-Grade requirements for the GS-11 level is 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.

Physical Demands: Work may be performed in the office or performing work in isolated/remote locations. The fieldwork may be arduous, and the incumbent may be required to walk long distances over rough terrain in varying temperatures. The field location areas within the field office boundary. The incumbent may also be required to operate four-wheel drive vehicles and UTVs over primitive roads in isolated areas.

Work Environment: The position can consist up to 50 percent field work and 50 percent office work. The incumbent must remain flexible and be able to adjust work schedule to accommodate new or conflicting job requirements. Field work involves exposure to moderate risks and discomforts, such as those due to irregular hours in a wide variety of remote and rugged terrains where climatic conditions are variable and extreme. On occasion the incumbent may be required to stay overnight in the field. Office work is performed in an office setting that normally involves everyday risks or discomforts. The incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulations as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement which requires that you have a degree in botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany or a combination of education and experience that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

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. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution See Foreign Education.

Additional information

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.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency 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 receive a minimum score of 90 based on the rating criteria used for this position.

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 at https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.

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 Alternative Application

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume must list your education and work experience including the dates (mm/yyyy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week and optional salary information. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume?

Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position.

After the vacancy closes, a review of your application package will be made to ensure you meet all qualification requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Botany
  • Oral Communication
  • Reasoning
  • Technical Competence
  • Writing

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