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Physical Science Technician

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

Summary

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

This position is located in Fairbanks, Alaska. Information about Alaska and the surrounding area can be found at https://alaska.gov/communit.html

We expect to fill 2 vacancies.

Additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/04/2022 to 02/18/2022
Salary
$40,538 to - $52,699 per year

The salary includes base pay and locality pay, you will also receive a 2.48% cost of living allowance. This allowance is subject to annual review.

Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Fairbanks, AK
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
75% or less - You may drive long distances over rough gravel roads, operate all-terrain vehicles, fly in various small aircraft, and travel over water by raft, canoe and riverboat.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - This is a temporary appointment. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status and will be for a period not-to-exceed 1039 hours in a service year.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
AKTEMP-22-11344324-SJB
Control number
635224400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Create reports documenting physical and biological environmental conditions based on observations, photos, and field data.
  • Assess field sites for safety concerns before and during work activities.
  • Survey field sites for basic facts for entry into databases and/or geospatial automated information systems.
  • Use standard scientific equipment to collect water quality data. Use GIS to prepare maps and present field-collected data in context.
  • Select, extract, collect and compile information from various sources taking into account the applicability of information as well as the characteristics and quality of the sources.

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.
  • An applicant appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • An applicant appointed to this position may be required to carry and use a firearm OR bear repellant for protection from bears/other dangerous animals (including certification that you have not been convicted of a domestic violence crime).

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.

You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-04 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: (1) planning logistics for field data collection; or (2) conducting site inspections or documenting physical conditions of a site; or (3) maintaining accurate records of analyses to support validity of findings for reports and summaries; or (4) summarizing data and writing reports that present clear and concise explanations of the scientific experimental results; or (5) collecting environmental monitoring data (e.g., water quality and quantity, weather statistics, air quality, ecosystem metrics, etc.); or (6) and drafting reports and presenting materials for physical science research or natural resource-based studies.

-OR-

Education: Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university in physics, chemistry, hydrology, geophysics, geology, or related natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, or other closely related subject pertinent to the management and protection of natural resources.

- OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate undergraduate education.

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 by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: The work is a mixture of sedentary work in the office and field work that involves some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; possibly recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or requiring lifting up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment: May work in the field under conditions of inclement weather or other discomforts where normal safety precautions must be observed. May be required to live in primitive conditions while doing fieldwork.

Education

If using education to qualify, 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. See Required Documents section for more information.

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 E-Verify.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

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.

This position is eligible for Telework.

All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions are temporary and are expected to last for up to 6 months. These positions have no promotion potential, if you want to be considered for a higher grade you must apply for the higher grade.

If selected from this announcement you may be rehired for identical positions without further competition based on work needs, funding, or any other condition of employment.

If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)?. The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under "internal" merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility, which starts with Question #15 (Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions?).

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.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job 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. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category 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:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Research
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence

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