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Botanist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located on the Sierra and Stanislaus National Forest. One position will be located in Sonora and the other in Prather, CA.

Incumbent has responsibility for providing professional, scientific assistance to the unit staff and to provide assistance and training to the staff in dealing with sensitive plant species and botany.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/12/2022 to 04/25/2022
Salary
$54,727 to - $66,214 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
2 vacancies in the following locations:
Prather, CA
Sonora, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel for training, meetings and project related work assignments.
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
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
22-R5-GVA-11452341-DP-CVN
Control number
648220000

Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance level GS-11
  • Provide technical expertise regarding threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species, plant community and vegetation management.
  • Stay informed on latest status of threatened, endangered and sensitive plants to maintain current sensitive plant lists and recommend plants that should be included.
  • Conduct training in habitat analysis, plant identification, and documentation in accordance with management plans and objectives.
  • Exchange sensitive plant and native re-vegetation program information with other experts.
  • Coordinate weed treatment efforts with outside entities such as grazing associations, county/state weed managers, current and future easement and permit holders.
  • Manage plant ecology programs designed to protect specific plants species.
  • Develop an annual botanical program of work and implement restoration projects.
  • Coordinate with academic institutions on research and surveys that are periodically conducted on the unit.
  • Review environmental assessments and environmental impact statements and make recommendations to ensure that botanical resources and ecosystem integrity are adequately considered.
  • Lead interdisciplinary planning teams to oversee non- entities in restoration activities, assuring all safety protocols are followed.
  • Prepare schedules, cost estimates and scope of work for field surveys and contracted services.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement for the 0430-Botanist series:

1. Degree: botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany.

OR

2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Education: Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

GS-09: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level.

Examples of specialized experience include: Participated in the evaluation and monitoring of the threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species and plant community and vegetation management programs; Located, surveyed, identified, and recorded threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species information in order to meet environmental assessment requirements; Collected and summarized data and administered plant species projects.

OR

A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, if related.

OR

An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education was obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level.

Examples of specialized experience include: Developed, evaluated, and monitored threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species and plant community and vegetation management programs; Conducted and oversaw vegetation inventories, population, and community monitoring; Assisted in the development and implementation of management plans for the protection and enhancement of habitat for special status plants, and the control of noxious weeds or other invasive species.

OR

3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that is directly related to the work of this position. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR

An appropriate combination of specialized experience as described above and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D. and coursework directly related to the work of this position). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

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.

Education

See Qualifications Section for educational requirements.

For further information about the duties of the Sierra National Forest position, please contact Jeanette Dorsey at (559) 297-0706; Ext: 4960; or at jeanette.dorsey@usda.gov

For further information about the duties of the Stanislaus National Forest position, please contact Crispin Holland at (209) 288-6318; or at crispin.holland@usda.gov

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number JOA#22-R5-GVA-11452340-G-CVN. Current or former Federal employees or other eligible applicants may apply to both announcements to expand all possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.

This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position.

This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Position in Clovis, CA is not a bargaining unit position.
Position in Sonora, CA is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE.

Forest Service daycare facilities may not be available.

Government Housing may not be available.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11452341

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