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Biological Scientist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at the National Forests in NC, Forest Supervisor Staff, Ecosystems, Fire & Forest.

The incumbent has responsibility for planning, managing, coordinating, reviewing, and reporting for several natural resources.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Cavan Fitzsimmons at 828-257-4270 or by email at cavan.fitzsimmons@usda.gov.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/27/2022 to 11/18/2022
Salary
$94,373 to - $122,683 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Asheville, NC
Remote job
No
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
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
23-R8SVSEPT-11672635-G-EA
Control number
685329200

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Duties

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  • Ensures program expenditures are legal, met charged-as-worked and congressional intent, and remain within budget limits.
  • Provides leadership in the development and execution in managing and executing programs which include wildlife, fisheries, plants, vegetation, fire, fuels, soil, and water.
  • Develops short and long range goals and objectives for natural resource programs ensuring consistency with strategies and program emphasis.
  • Provides recommendations and information to leadership concerning the administration of natural resource programs including budgets.
  • Maintain close coordination with various levels of state government representatives, special interest groups, Tribal government, permittees, and the general public who are concerned with forest resource management and environmental conditions.
  • Develop staff schedules and coordinate staff's work.
  • Serve as a member of a unit leadership team.
  • Develop natural resource budgets and priorities for leadership decisions.
  • Responsible for the quality, quantity, and coordination of all work performed in the various program areas overseen
  • Plan the work to be accomplished by assigning work to employees and establishing production or quality standards for the unit's work.
  • Establish and communicate guidelines and performance requirements to employees including conducting formal performance reviews and identifying developmental and training needs of employees.
  • Foster an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.
  • Promote an inclusive work environment that is free from all types of discrimination.
  • Employ nondiscriminatory practices for merit promotion, recruitment and hiring of applicants.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered 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.gov

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:

GS-0401 Series
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement (or date of referral if an Open Continuous announcement) as defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/gs0400/0401.htm

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-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 the position.
OR
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major field of study that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related course work generally refers to courses that may be accepted as part of the program major.
OR
Combination of education and experience that included 24 semester hours in course work in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, AND experience sufficient to demonstrate that I possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field needed to perform the work of the occupation.

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:
For the GS-13 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level. Examples of specialized experience are: assisted in the management of soils, watershed, wildlife, fisheries, range, botany, timber, fire, fuels, or threatened and endangered resources; Prepared long-range functional resource and fiscal plans to ensure compliance with land management planning policies and regulations; Reviewed and evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of land management programs and made recommendations for improvement; Assisted in the long-range resource planning, program direction, coordination and evaluation of the wildlife, fisheries, plants, vegetation management, fire, fuels, soil, water and range programs and their related activities.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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 candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website


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/

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 based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

  • Creative Thinking
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Leadership
  • Supervision
  • Technical Competence
  • Workforce Environment


Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. 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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11672635

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