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Biological Science Technician (Soils)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The primary purpose of this position is to perform a variety of complex and recurring technical duties, individually, or as a crew member or designated crew leader in support of the soil resource.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/27/2023 to 08/09/2023
Salary
$22.37 to - $22.37 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Detroit, OR
McKenzie Bridge, OR
Westfir, OR
Location Negotiable After Selection,
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
24-TEMP2-R6-6377-7DT-AW
Control number
739456800

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Duties

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  • Organizes and performs a variety of routine and moderately complex tasks involving techniques and practices relating to soil resources in order to support field projects and program planning activities.
  • Evaluates soil physical conditions in the field based on established protocols, assesses wetland conditions and prescribed burn severity, and suggests the implementation of restoration/conservation practices, improvements, or techniques.
  • Measures, observes, and records soil pedogenic (processes occurring in soil or leading to the formation of soil) resource data.
  • Generates maps for field work and analysis of data using ArcGIS.
  • Organizes field data and equipment and conducts quality control on entered data.
  • Compiles and summarizes data obtained from field surveys into summary reports to explain purpose and significance.
  • Assists in field technique training and development of less experienced crew members. As a designated crew leader, delegates responsibility where necessary and provides work crew direction.
  • Conducts standard forest and rangeland soil resource inventories and watershed restoration needs inventories of assigned areas.
  • Collects soil samples for laboratory analysis to determine physical, chemical, and morphological characteristics. Selects, describes, and classifies soil properties.
  • May assist with the development of complex water quality program procedures, soil mapping, landslide mapping, slope stability assessments, wetland delineation, and detrimental soil disturbance monitoring.
  • Assists in layout of field experiments, pilot projects, and specific soils projects. Leads discrete tasks and projects. Trains other employees in those procedures.
  • Makes timely resource data, process, and productivity improvement recommendations to supervisor.
  • Uses personal computer systems, field computers, and associated software including GIS software for recording, maintaining and analyzing data.
  • Work is performed under moderate to strenuous physical exertion in a forest environment where terrain may be uneven, rocky, or covered with dense vegetation, and where there is exposure to weather and temperature extremes.
  • Is fully responsible for compliance with safety rules and regulations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
  • Must be 18 years of age.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-Verify.

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.

GS-07: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6); OR one full year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture); OR combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Examples of specialized experience include: Participated in soil related projects using established methods, techniques, and procedures. Identified and used basic principles of soil resources to assess readings and measurements taken, tests executed, observations made, work completed, samples collected, etc. to understand and relate the significance of the results to the resource program objective, Participated in field work projects related to soil resources such as the processes, methods and techniques associated with work in soil resources to resolve the full range of irregular or problem situations when performing a wide variety of either highly interrelated tasks or nonstandard assignments. Applying skill to use a variety of field instruments and equipment to collect soil resource data and information that can be used for further analysis.

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.

To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements on the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2024 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between December 31, 2023 and April 7, 2024.

By selecting the "Location Negotiable" option during the application process, implies your willingness to be considered for any official duty location listed on this announcement and/or those duty locations not listed for this Regional announcement. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates.

This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.

This position is not eligible for telework.

Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

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 in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be referred to the selecting official.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or 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.

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