Temporary positions not-to-exceed 1039 regular hours in a service year may be terminated sooner or extended depending on management needs. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Acadia National Park is mid April to mid October, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.
Summary
Temporary positions not-to-exceed 1039 regular hours in a service year may be terminated sooner or extended depending on management needs. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Acadia National Park is mid April to mid October, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.
Work will consist of removing non-native plants from the park using herbicide as well as with manual and mechanical means as a crew member, data manager, or crew leader. The work requires using global positioning and geographic information system equipment (GPS, GIS) to collect and analyze location data, conduct computer data entry, and records management. Duties also include maintaining the park's native plant nursery and revegetating disturbed areas, and monitoring vegetation using established protocols. Incumbents will obtain a Maine commercial pesticide applicator license, and ensure that all pesticide applications are done in compliance with state and federal laws and NPS policy.
The crew leader (GS 07) will be responsible for leading field operations during daily invasive plant management duties and oversee day-to-day operations of the crew, performing a wide variety of complex vegetation management technical support functions, including plant identification, invasive plant management, and revegetation. When two crews are working independently, or the crew leader is absent, the data manager (GS-06) will lead field operations during daily invasive plant management duties. The data manager will be responsible for managing and assuring the quality of quantitative and spatial plant management data.
Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, serves as the duty station. Acadia National Park is located 50 miles southeast of Bangor, Maine, and 240 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. Acadia National Park protects a landscape of rare scenic beauty. Acadia's mountains are the highest rocky headlands on the Atlantic shore of the United States, and the vistas from these mountaintops encompass forested woodlands, shimmering lakes, quiet marshes, bold rocky shores, and coastal islands. Surrounding the park on all sides, the ocean strongly influences the park's character. Visitation exceeds three million visitors annually, with the highest visitation occurring in July and August.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
Government housing may be provided.
You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
A valid State Pesticide Applicator License is required.
Tier 1 Background Investigation/Clearance is required.
Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-02/12/2021-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.
EXPERIENCE (GS-05): 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: 1) Collecting scientific data on vegetation; assisting with vegetation inventories, studies, AND surveys; 2)participating in site rehabilitation through soil preparation, native seed dispersal OR collection;3) assist field crews in exotic plant management; nursery work that required the growing AND maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; monitoring OR controlling vegetation pests or diseases. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full four year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position being filled. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Note: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of course of study leading to a bachelors degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
EXPERIENCE (GS-06): 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: 1) Independent identification of plant species using botanical taxonomic keys; developing resource stewardship reports, including literature research, descriptions of methods, summarizing results; 2)independently entering and modifying biological data in a computer database; guiding others in the collection of scientific data on vegetation; planning logistics for vegetation inventories, studies, AND surveys; 3)developing site rehabilitation plans through soil preparation, native seed dispersal OR collection; 4)leading field crews in invasive plant management; independent nursery work that required the growing AND maintenance of plants in a controlled environment; monitoring OR controlling vegetation pests or diseases. You must include hours per week worked.
EXPERIENCE (GS-07): At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: 1) managing invasive plants using a variety of approaches including mechanical, chemical (herbicides) and/or biological control, and using associated tools of the trade including herbicide sprayers, brush cutters, and chain saws; 2) evidence of conducting assessments of individual plant populations, field surveys, using accepted scientific methods and equipment including using dichotomous keys to identify plants to species level, estimating per cent cover, collecting forest biometrics; 3) collecting precise and accurate plant-related data both in the field using field data sheets and hand-held electronic devices such as GPS units and Tablets; 4) analyzing plant-related data for use in reporting crew activities, as well as managing and protecting plant populations, including managing multi-year databases, spatial information in maps or GIS data layers, and performing data quality assessments; 5) evidence of using established forest census, survey, or management techniques, procedures, protocols with standard scientific equipment such as DBH tapes, increment borers, prisms. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of 1 year of graduate level study directly related to work of the position. Major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position being filled. 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. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Note: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of course of study leading to a bachelors degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. 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
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 or 1730 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).
If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility. The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.
Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., equipment and packs up to 50 pounds) 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 conditions and terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work ma-y involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.
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.
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your responses to the online assessments completed during the application process. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Attention to Detail, Botany, Chemistry, Customer Service, Data Management, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Learning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, Technical Competence, and Writing
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
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 following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/12/2021:
Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, orMother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests:
If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
You will be prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Apply."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
Applicants may not update assessment responses after submitting an application at any time during the announcement open period, however, applicants will be able to update the other portions of the application such as eligibilities and supporting documents.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an AdditionalApplication Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.
Acadia National Park
POB 177
Route 233
McFarland Hill Drive
Bar Harbor, ME 04634
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/12/2021:
Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, orMother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests:
If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
You will be prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Apply."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
Applicants may not update assessment responses after submitting an application at any time during the announcement open period, however, applicants will be able to update the other portions of the application such as eligibilities and supporting documents.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an AdditionalApplication Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.
Acadia National Park
POB 177
Route 233
McFarland Hill Drive
Bar Harbor, ME 04634
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
