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Biological Science Technician (Water Quality)

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

Summary

This temporary NTE 1039 hours position is located at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the Resource Management Division. For information on the duties of the position contact: Chris_J_Otto@nps.gov or 231-326-4753

Open to the first 75 applicants or until 01/18/2023 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
01/11/2023 to 01/18/2023
This job will close when we have received 75 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$20.14 to - $20.14 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Empire, MI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 Hours
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
6
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MW-1544-SLBE-23-11751265-DE
Control number
699357000

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Duties

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You must be willing to work throughout the Lakeshore including occasional overnight trips to the Manitou Islands for periods up to 3 days at a time.

MAJOR DUTIES:
This position is located within the Division of Natural Resource Management at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The incumbent will assist with sampling water quality of inland lakes, rivers, and at Lake Michigan beach sites throughout the Lakeshore. He or she will assist 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. Specific duties include performing routine and recurring testing of water quality, both chemical and bacteriological; maintaining a laboratory for fecal bacteria testing; recording all data collected and providing preliminary assessment and classification of the information; using a Global Positioning System device to locate and mark sampling sites in remote locations; portaging and paddling a canoe for long distances to sample interior lakes; processing water samples for laboratory analysis according to detailed standard operating procedures; installing, operating, maintaining, and calibrating water quality sampling equipment; and entering data into computer spreadsheets or databases.

Area Information: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is within a beautiful scenic resort area on the shores of Lake Michigan . Housing, medical facilities, shopping, churches, banks, daycare, and recreational opportunities are readily available within a 30 mile radius from park headquarters in Empire. High temperatures average between 70-80 degrees in the summer and low temperatures average between 10-20 degrees in winter. Shared government housing may be available for rent. For additional area information, please visit www.nps.gov/slbe.






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 will 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 evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
  • You may be required to work throughout the Lakeshore, including occasional overnight trips to the Manitou Islands for periods up to 3 days at a time.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/18/2023-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 of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 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-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Specialized experience is leading or coordinating field work in natural resource management, bacteriological water quality testing, or experience following water sampling and laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) for processing water samples. Experience collecting field data and ensuring adequate quality control of data collected, providing a preliminary assessment and classification of the information. Evaluates observed conditions and problems and makes preliminary determinations on the case of problems noted. Your resume must include hours per week worked. -OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year (18 semester hours or equivalent) of graduate level study in a related field of scientific or technical study, such as in biology, microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, geology, watershed management, or other directly related subject matter. Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Internships not completed as a part of your educational curriculum, and recorded on your transcript, will not be considered qualifying as education. NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts indicating degree earned and credit hours in order to qualify based on education). -OR-

Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

NOTE: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts indicating degree earned and credit hours in order to qualify based on education. is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

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

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: This is largely a field-based position; however, processing water samples in a laboratory will also be a primary role. Field work will usually be performed with a second person. The incumbent will also spend approximately 20% of the time performing computer work and maintaining/cleaning equipment. Excellent driving skills with experience handling small boat trailers are highly desired. Working in various watercraft to collect natural resource data will be required of this position. Handling, securing, loading, launching and navigating hand propelled watercraft in a variety of weather and water conditions is an expectation of the position. The incumbent will be expected to portage a canoe and carry field equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.

Working Conditions: Work may include standing and walking for long periods of time; lifting of moderately heavy items, such as backpacks, canoes, boat anchors, etc.; exposure to harsh weather conditions such as temperature extremes, rain, snow, wind and direct sunlight for long periods of time; occasional sedentary work. Staff may be hiking as much as 10 miles per day in various types of terrain while carrying backpacks, tools, and equipment.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. 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 veteran's 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:
  • Leadership
  • Standards
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Documentation
  • Writing


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