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Biologist - STEM Direct Hire Authority

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Cabrillo National Monument (CABR) and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The salary reflected in this announcement is for basic salary and does not include the locality.

View this link for locality at CABR - SALARY TABLE 2022-SD (opm.gov)
View this link for locality at SAMO - SALARY TABLE 2022-LA (opm.gov)

Open to the first 100 applicants or until 06/13/2022 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/31/2022 to 06/13/2022
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$56,983 to - $74,074 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Locations
San Diego, CA
1 vacancy
Thousand Oaks, CA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
PW-1547-CMBO-22-11504669-DH
Control number
656669900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position.

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Duties

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DUTIES FOR SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA (SAMO):
  • Plan, organize, and implement the long-term terrestrial vegetation and invasive plant monitoring programs at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area; provide support for terrestrial vegetation monitoring programs at Channel Islands National Park and Cabrillo National Monument.
  • Plan, organize, and implement rare plant taxa monitoring, conservation, and recovery programs.
  • Supervise temporary and seasonal employees, performing all supervisory functions including hiring, developing performance plans, and conducting formal evaluations.
  • Work with professional staff to plan, coordinate, and conduct field research.
  • Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relationships with agencies, local governments, academic institutions, and the public to encourage and facilitate long-term cooperative effort.
  • Develop funding proposals to increase the capacity of vegetation research, management, and conservation activities.
  • Use standard techniques and established protocols to collect quantitative data on plants, vegetation, habitats, native community restoration projects, and plant species recovery projects.
  • Design and implement new protocols for monitoring of vegetation and restoration projects, and for analysis of collected data.
  • Plan and manage all aspects of field operations, including provision of forms, supplies, equipment and vehicles, training, scheduling, and managing staff, and ensuring all safety protocols are followed.
  • Establish and maintain quality control and quality assurance procedures in the collection of quantitative field data and its entry into digital databases.
  • Work with statisticians and other subject matter experts to analyze and interpret plant and vegetation data; elucidating status, changes, and trends; and provide recommendations based on findings.
  • Provide written and oral reports summarizing and interpreting program findings to agency personnel, professional groups, and the general public.
  • Identify all vascular plant species to lowest taxonomic level of occurrence (e.g. subspecies or variety) using standard floras, dichotomous keys and/or herbarium collections; identify all local genera by site.
  • Navigate and reliably locate field plots with minimal visual cues by using map, compass, aerial photography and geographic positioning system equipment.
  • Perform arduous field work; hike up to 6 miles (round trip) over steep, variable terrain with elevation gains of up to 2000 feet, carrying up to 30 pounds of equipment and supplies.
  • Operate a government owned vehicle
  • Travel: Less than 25%. Travel required up to four to five weeks per year in support of work at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
DUTIES FOR CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT (CABR):
CABR is looking for a pro-active team member to lead the Natural Resources Management and Science Division, who is responsible for managing the people, funding and daily operations. The position is a key position on the management team, working closely with the superintendent and the four other division chiefs. There is a staff of less than 30 people in the park, but the effectiveness of the group is extended with our volunteers and partners for all divisions.
  • Implementation and development of an integrated program managing natural resources, including terrestrial, marine, and physical environments.
  • All aspects of developing projects for funding requests (e.g., Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, cooperative association), through full implementation.
  • Serves as the compliance manager for the park and will work closely with others on cultural resources management and compliance as well. Ensuring meeting federal standards within the Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Endangered Species Act, and other federal regulations and laws.
  • Assist with field work as needed to complete inventories and long-term monitoring projects.
  • Partners with a variety of federal (including other NPS units), state, local, non-profit, academic, and others for common management goals.
  • Supervises and manages the current program of one permanent staff, three partner staff, and interns, with potential for hiring additional term employees through project funding.
  • Travel: Less than 25%. Travel required up to four to five weeks per year in support of work at Cabrillo National Monument.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • 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.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You will be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work
  • If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/13/2022-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 qualified specialized experience.

You must meet the basic requirements and specialized experience as defined below.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Successful completion a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position - OR - Combination of education and experience that included course work equivalent to a major (i.e., 24 semester hours) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a discipline closely related to biology; PLUS, appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position which includes study, inventory, monitoring, restoration, and management of a broad range of natural resources. Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include, but are not limited to, vegetation, wildlife, fisheries, exotic and pest species, sensitive taxa and associated ecological components such as air, water and soil. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited educational institution concentrated in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, or chemistry. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, six months of the specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-11) and 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of appropriate directly related graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and 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.

Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001)

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

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.

This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a severe shortage of candidates exists and/or a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted agencies "Direct Hire Authority".

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: Requires strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting and carrying heavy objects (up to 30 lbs) long distances through rough, heavily vegetated terrain. Some activities will occur in physically dangerous areas or settings. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Assignments may be performed in potentially hazardous areas including steep slopes, rocky terrain, fire lines. Driving in heavy traffic and on unpaved roads is required. Occasional travel by boat. Flying in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters is possible. The work performed involves regular and recurring exposure to extreme oceanic and terrestrial weather conditions and terrain, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated based on how well they meet the qualification requirements.

Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.

This vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the Servicing Human Resources Office (SHRO), will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.

If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied.

If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, consideration for the position will be denied, as per OPM regulations.

Your resume will be reviewed for the following competencies during the assessment for the CABR position:

  • Managing Human Resources
  • Oral Communication
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
Your resume will be reviewed for the following competencies during the assessment for the SAMO position:
  • Botany
  • Research
  • Project Management
  • Physical Strength and Agility

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