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Biological Scientist/Physical Scientist (Forest Inventory & Analysis National Program Manager)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

NOTE: Read "Additional Information" section below for duty location information.
Employee supports the Research & Development, Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment Research (IMAR) program.

Plans, organizes, implements, and documents assessment and reporting activities for the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, as FIA National Program Manager.

For more about this position, contact Linda S. Heath at linda.heath@usda.gov or Renate Bush at renate.bush@usda.gov

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/28/2023 to 05/12/2023
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$98,496 to - $116,393 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Washington
Location Negotiable After Selection
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
Yes—Relocation paid for Washington, DC location only in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-RES-11944473-DHA-LMS
Control number
722034100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

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Duties

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  • Responsible for a broad range of program management and coordination activities.
  • Work with customers and partners to identify issues and priorities to be addressed in forthcoming assessments and developing timelines and approaches to conducting the assessments.
  • Make staffing and budgeting recommendations to national leaders.
  • Track progress of multiple analyses and projects underway simultaneously and recommend adjustments to national leaders.
  • Ensure that funding and staffing decisions are implemented as directed.
  • Track performance of research and lead or perform special assessment-related projects.
  • Prepare briefing materials and technical and non-technical summaries of natural resource assessment results, in collaboration with scientists.
  • Manage the peer technical review of assessment documents and supporting technical reports.

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

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.

Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided. Provide university course descriptions to clarify content of coursework as necessary.

Basic Education Requirements:
Biological Scientist GS-0401:
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
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Physical Scientist GS-1301:
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: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.
OR
Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirements:
GS-13: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. To qualify, your specialized experience at this level must include at least 3 of the following types of duties:
--Monitoring large scale natural resources data, conducting data analytics, and producing data products at landscape levels or greater;
--Writing summaries of natural resource program accomplishments and performance, and making recommendations for promoting efficiencies and innovation to program processes;
--Tracking budgets and preparing budget summaries and strategic materials for managing natural resources information;
--Providing inputs for and assisting with coordinating large-scale reports to summarize or interpret entity-wide resource statistics;
--Writing official scientific documents and giving oral presentations related to natural resources for a regional level program.

GS-14: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. To qualify, your specialized experience at this level must include at least 3 of the following types of duties:
--Providing technical support and oversight to provide and monitor natural resources data, data analytics, and data products at landscape levels or greater;
--Assembling and analyzing information on natural resource program accomplishments and performance, and promoting efficiencies and innovation to program processes;
--Developing budgets and preparing budget briefings and strategic materials on natural resources information for a large multicomponent organization;
--Coordinating large-scale reports to summarize or interpret entity-wide resource statistics;
--Writing official documents and giving oral presentations related to natural resources to build support for a program with clients and partners.

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

Education alone is not qualifying at the grade levels listed. To qualify, your resume must show that you possess the specialized experience requirements listed above.

Additional information

One position will be filled either in Washington, DC with relocation expenses paid in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations, or duty station location negotiable after selection. Final duty station must be within commuting distance of a Forest Service location within the contiguous US. This is not a remote position.
Final determination of the duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer.

Pay rates vary depending on location. Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

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.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service selectees will be given a new appointment.

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 is not a bargaining unit position.

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.

This position is not eligible for telework.

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.

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, 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/11944473

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