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Ecologist (Fire)

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

Summary

In this position, you will serve as program lead and technical advisor in fire ecology for the fire management program supporting the Mountains to the Seas Zone (Virginia and Maryland) and Allegheny Zone (Ohio, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania) The position requires applying a systems approach to the study and analysis of ecological systems and the effects of wildland fire management activities.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/23/2024 to 09/06/2024
Salary
$59,966 to - $77,955 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Luray, VA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - 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
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
DE-12523861-24-NM
Control number
806050000

Duties

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  • Assists in the development and implementation of scientific monitoring protocols to identify, evaluate, and monitor ecosystem response to fire management activities and the ecological process of wildland fire
  • Manages all aspects of monitoring design, data collection and management, analysis, and reporting related to fire ecology and monitoring
  • Conducts sampling to determine statistically valid plot distributions and design
  • Supports the fire management organization through the development and monitoring of fuels management projects and wildfire-related objectives
  • Prepares management and scientific reports regarding the results of fire management, monitoring, and research activities and makes recommendations to supervisor on issues found
  • Serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team, planning and contributing to the development of land management plans, fire management plans, compliance documents, and agreements
  • Provides professional expertise in the development of strategies and objectives for wildland fire activities when there are competing social, political, fiscal and resource concerns
  • Reviews resource management and fire management plans and associated compliance documents that require the application of ecological principles
  • Supervises staff, including determining work to be accomplished and evaluating performance, less than 25% of the time

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • You are required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication
  • Occasional overtime may be required.
  • A valid state driver's license is required.

Qualifications

In order to be qualified for this position, you must possess a Bachelor's or higher degree in biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.

In addition, you must possess at least one of the following:
A. One year of specialized experience, equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in the Federal service, analyzing the ecological effects of wildland fire management activities; gathering information to support the planning and implementation of fire management activities; compiling data on ecosystem components related to vegetation communities or wildlife habitats, such as ecological responses of grasslands or forests to disturbance; and assisting int he analysis of ecological data to prepare reports for management. - OR -
B. Two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree in biology, ecology, or another closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position - OR -
C. A combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate-level education as described in B that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement. (Please note: Only graduate education in excess of the first year - normally 18 semester hours - may be used in this calculation.)

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.

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

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the person selected for the position is from outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses under the Federal Travel Regulations (such as current permanent Federal employees).

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Philadelphia Services Branch at philadelphia@opm.gov or 215-861-3074

This announcement may be used to fill one or more positions.

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, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made if you are within reach of selection and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

This position is being announced under a Direct Hire Authority. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager. Although veterans' preference does not apply, veterans' are still encouraged to submit their documentation.

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