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Biological Science Technician (Plants)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Positions are TEMPORARY seasonal not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year.

Vacancies at multiple park locations.

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement. The first cut-off date is 11:59 pm (est), January 13, 2023.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/03/2023 to 06/30/2023
Salary
$37,696 to - $67,285 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Bar Harbor, ME
Concord, MA
Bushkill, PA
Gettysburg, PA
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
Temporary - Not to Exceed 1039 Hours
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NE-1820-MIMA-23-11782861-DE
Control number
697642600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

WHO MAY APPLY: All U.S. Citizens, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)

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Duties

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Duties at the GS-05 grade level.

  • Implement established natural resource management projects. Following instructions and standardized procedures, collects and organizes field data.
  • Ensure adequate quality control of data collected. Performs routine and recurring testing of collected
  • samples.
  • Record all data collected and provides preliminary assessment and classification of the information. Seeks assistance for situations not covered.
  • Works with crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation.
Duties at the GS-06 grade level.
  • Make field observations of natural resource conditions.
  • Evaluate observed conditions and problems and makes preliminary determinations on the cause of problems noted.
  • Provide results to higher-level specialists for analysis. Assists in the preparation of reports, plans, and guidelines.
  • Draft project reports may include literature research, descriptions of methods, preparation of graphs and charts, and summary of findings.
  • Leads crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation.
Duties at the full performance level GS-07 grade level.
  • Record data relating to plant studies.
  • Document occurrence and distribution of identified species.
  • Participate in environmental studies documenting factors affecting plant species and habitat.
  • Lead or conduct field searches for populations of sensitive, threatened or endangered plant species.
  • Photograph, collect and mount plant specimens encountered at different stages of development.
  • Collect ecological site information for population distribution, condition, trend, associated species, geology, soil type and prepare reports.
  • Leads crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation.
Shenandoah National Park (Luray, VA):
Several Vacancies
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $37,696 -$49,009
Grade 06 Pay Scale: $42,022 -$54,625
Grade 07 Pay Scale: $46,696 -$60,703
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is April - October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2023

Minute Man National Historical Park (Concord, MA): (Grade 05 and 7 Only)
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $42,404 -$55,130
Grade 07 Pay Scale: $52,527- $68,285
Several Vacancies
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is February - August but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: February 2023

Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, ME):
4 Vacancies
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $37,696 -$49,009
Grade 06 Pay Scale: $42,022 -$54,625
Grade 07 Pay Scale: $46,696 -$60,703
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is April - October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2023

Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg, PA): (Grade 05 Only)
3 Vacancies
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $42,870 -$55,736
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is April - October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2023

Northeast Regional Office- Region 1- Shenandoah National Park (Luray, VA): (Grade 05 Only)
3 Vacancies
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $37,696 -$49,009
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is May - November but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: May 2023

Northeast Regional Office- Region 1- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area(Bushkill, PA): (Grade 05 Only)
1 Vacancy
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $44,057 -$57,280
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is May - November but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: May 2023

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Occupancy of government quarters may be required.
  • Government housing may be available at certain parks but is not guaranteed.
    • Use find a park to contact specific parks for more information on government housing.
  • You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • State pesticide application certification/license is required at for each park listed on the job announcement after entrance on duty date.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/30/2023-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-5 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include Utilizing various techniques to gather biological samples; identifying, measuring, or counting organisms of the environment, and recording the data; or performing a variety of behavioral or measured data collection activities in support of field resource management projects.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to Botany/Plants.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You may meet the qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate undergraduate education. Undergraduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position as listed above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-6 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.
EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level. Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field and include activities such as: Working with field crews in invasive plant control; implementing revegetation projects; maintaining a native plant nursery (e.g., weeding, watering, installing plants); and collecting vegetation data and photographic documentation in support of invasive plant management and restoration projects.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year of graduate study that is directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture).
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Combinations of successfully completed post-undergrad education that is related to the position as described above and specialized experience. The combined total must equal 100%.

To qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-6 level. Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field and include activities such as: Surveying, mapping and documenting botany species; researching and compiling botany inventory data; leading or conducting field inventories or studies of botany species and invasive plants; leading crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation; and researching and identifying botany data and compiling data for review in established or new databases.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year of graduate study that is directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture).
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Combinations of successfully completed post-undergrad education that is related to the position as described above and specialized experience. The combined total must equal 100%.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards.

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.

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 the interpretation of foreign education programs and that (1) deemed your education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program, or (2) given full credit for courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification.

Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay.

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 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.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 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 may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.

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.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veterans' preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10-percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position.
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Botany
  • Ecology
  • Oral Communication
  • Physical Strength
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence

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