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Ecologist/Botanist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in Reno, Nevada. Information about Reno and the surrounding area can be found at Reno/Sparks Chamber of Commerce.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

This position is authorized a 20% relocation/recruitment incentive, if eligible. See additional information section.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/24/2024 to 05/08/2024
This job will close when we have received 30 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$87,178 to - $113,327 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Reno, NV
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—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NV-DEU-24-12396521-JP
Control number
788175300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • State Botanist and advisor to the State Director.
  • Botany, plant, and restoration ecology subject matter expert in providing policy input and analyses, technical guidance, and overall program leadership for botany/ecology related programs and projects.
  • Serves as the botany program and project budget lead.
  • Leads, manages, and coordinates botany/plant ecology/restoration ecology projects.
  • Considered the BLM expert and advisor in policy and regulations concerning botany, ecology, vegetation management, plant materials development, and special status plant species conservation management.
  • Responsible for integrating with related resource programs like planning, lands, minerals, watershed, riparian, range, forestry, fire, recreation, and wilderness programs to achieve multiple use/ecosystem management goals and objectives.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • May require a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Basic Education Requirement:This is an interdisciplinary position with a positive education requirement. You must meet the education requirements for at least one of the professional series below:

For Botanist:
Have a degree in botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany; -OR- Have a combination of education and specialized experience: courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

For Ecologist:
Have a degree in biology or a related field of science that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours include 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.

In addition to meeting the education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: (1) evaluating vegetation monitoring programs to assure conformance with policies, standards, regulations, and legislation; (2) analyzing and/or manipulating data in a plant/wildlife databases to produce reports with graphics, maps, and spreadsheets; (3) assisting with the budget planning system process for a Plant Conservation Program; (4) utilizing Geographic Information Systems to perform analysis techniques to initiate or interpret habitat and site management.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: The work is typically performed in an office setting with no special physical demands. However, work may also be performed in the field which involves periods of walking, bending, climbing, or driving motor vehicles to worksites. The work may also involve some overnight travel for training, meetings, and site visits.

Work Environment: The work is usually performed in an office setting however work may also be spent occasionally visiting field sites. Field visits are typically performed in either an outdoor setting subject to weather changes, diverse terrain, and safety hazards associated with working around complex features and/or construction. Both settings may require the use of personal protective equipment. Safety precautions and protocols are observed at all times and the incumbent complies with safety instructions and regulations and ensures individual and others safety by promptly reporting unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and accidents to the supervisor.

Education

This position falls under the 0408 and 0430 series for professional and scientific positions. This position has a positive education requirement. See qualification section for description of the Basic Education Requirement (BER).

There is no substitution of specialized experience for education at the GS-12 level.

You must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: This position is offering a Relocation/Recruitment Incentive, 20% of the annual salary. To be eligible for a Relocation Incentive, you must be a current Federal Employee and the selectee must be employed with the Federal Government and the selectees current duty location is more than 50 miles from the duty location of this position. To be eligible for a Recruitment Incentive, selectee must not be employed by the Federal Government.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation 18-05 issued by General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals..

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Botany
  • Customer Service
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Project Management

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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