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Research Ecologist

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

Salary for GS-12: $86,962 (Step 01) to $113,047 (Step 10)

Salary for GS-13: $103,409 (Step 01) to $134,435 (Step 10)

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/22/2024 to 12/12/2024
Salary
$86,962 to - $134,435 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Jamestown, ND
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
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
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
USGS-RES-25-12594091-DE-TRC
Control number
819848600

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Duties

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This position is a Principal Investigator at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. The scientist develops and implements innovative research on grassland ecosystems, sustainable reconstruction and restoration of plant communities, the plant materials needed to complete those restorations, and the variety of ecosystem services they provide. The geographical emphasis is the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest. The objective of the research is to develop new approaches and provide scientific support for natural resource managers to address issues related to grassland restoration and management. Along with conducting new field studies, the scientist will synthesize and analyze existing data to develop decision support tools regarding grassland restoration and management. The scientist must be interested in collaborative research to address applied, conservation-relevant questions.

As a Research Ecologist within the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, some of your specific duties will include:

  • Design, obtain funding, plan, and execute studies on the ecology, restoration, and management of grassland plants and ecosystems.
  • Collaborate with other researchers and managers to conduct quantitative analyses of data from experiments, monitoring, and other sources.
  • Disseminate results of investigations by publishing them in peer-reviewed scientific and technical journals.
  • Work with resource managers to identify research and monitoring needs and to advance grassland restoration, management, and conservation.
  • Develop independently a research program on grassland ecosystems using and combining a range of disciplines, such as: restoration ecology, plant population and community ecology, multi-trophic interactions, quantitative ecology, adaptive management, decision analysis and support, data analytics, and statistics.
  • Identify and outline products and prepares scientific papers for publication in professional peer-reviewed journals and make oral presentations at professional meetings.
  • Represents NPWRC and the USGS on technical committees focused on complex issues affecting grassland reconstruction, restoration, management, and conservation.
  • Operates a government vehicle as an incidental driver.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

  1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  3. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
  4. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  5. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position
  • Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Ecologist, all grade levels.

A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours or the equivalent in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours or the equivalent in ecology, and 12 semester hours or the equivalent in physical and mathematical sciences.


For GS-12:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-12 level:

**One year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology, biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

Examples of GS-11 level work may include: conduct management decision-relevant research on vegetation of the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest; experience with elements of experimental design, quantitative ecology, plant ecology, adaptive management, decision analysis and support, data analytics, and statistics; work with teams and partners to conduct quantitative analysis of complex ecological data sets; use quantitative methods, modeling, and appropriate computer software to analyze large data sets to investigate relations among ecological variables, management actions, and ecological system drivers for grasslands; collaborate with natural resource managers, administrators, and scientists in a team setting to translate research results into practical applications and methods for the study, monitoring, and management of grassland ecosystems; interpret and communicate results of analyses to inform management actions; communicate results to technical and non-technical audiences; and present results at regional and national scientific meetings, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

*OR* a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a directly related field of study, *OR* a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, that is beyond the second year of graduate study and professional experience, as described above.

For GS-13:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-13 level:

**One year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology, biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

Examples of GS-12 level work may include: lead management decision-relevant research on vegetation of the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest; experience with elements of experimental design, quantitative ecology, plant ecology, adaptive management, decision analysis and support, data analytics, and statistics; lead teams and partners in conducting quantitative analysis of complex ecological data sets; plan, lead, and interpret results of ecological research projects that use quantitative methods and modeling to investigate relations among ecological variables, management actions, and ecological system drivers for grasslands; develop novel analyses of complex data and synthetic analyses that address management- or conservation - relevant questions; submit research proposals for funding; work with natural resource managers, administrators, and scientists in a team setting to translate research results into practical applications and methods for the study, monitoring, and management of grassland ecosystems; interpret; communicate results of complex analyses to inform management actions and communicating results to technical and non-technical audiences; present results at regional and national scientific meetings and publish in peer-reviewed journals.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

  • 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 completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:https://www.usgs.gov/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs

Additional information

Other Information:

  • Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
  • Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
  • The full performance level for a Research position is GS-15; however, promotion eligibility is dependent upon the scientific contributions of the incumbent as evaluated by a peer panel.
  • Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
  • USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations.
  • The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
  • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
  • The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.
  • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
Agency Benefits:

How you will be evaluated

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

--Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies:

  • Scientific Knowledge
  • Compute/Analyze Data
  • Program/Project Managment
  • Written Communication
  • Disseminate Data
--Basis of Rating:
Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. 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 assessment required for this position. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

Additional Assessment Required: If you meet the eligibility and basic qualification requirements for this position, you will be contacted via email and asked to provide narrative responses to questions that are specific to this job. The email will include the instructions and deadline in which the responses must be submitted. A subject-matter-expert(s) will use these narrative responses to further evaluate your knowledge, skills, abilities, and competences as they directly relate to the duties of this position. Failure to submit this information upon request will result in your disqualification from further consideration.

1. Describe experiences that have given you the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to design and lead applied research focused on restoration and management of Great Plains grassland ecosystems.

2. Describe your specific experience with selecting and using measurement techniques and sampling designs for (1) herbaceous plant populations and communities and (2) plant-animal and/or or plant-microbe interactions. Provide or point to products that support your description.

3. Describe your experience in communicating with land managers (federal and state agencies, non-government conservation organizations, etc.) to help identify their science needs and interpret your or others' science with respect to management. Provide or point to products that support your description.

4. Describe your proficiency, understanding, and use of statistical models to quantitatively analyze datasets with respect to plant ecology and management. Be specific in the approaches you have used and in what context. Provide or point to products that support your description.


--NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12594091

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