Clarification from the agency

This Merit Promotion position is open to Current Federal Employees and Former Federal Employees with permanent status or reinstatement eligibility. Individuals who are eligible for a special appointing authority may also apply such as Individuals with Disabilities (Schedule A), former Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Vista volunteers; certain Military Spouses, or individuals eligible under various programs for Veterans (VRA, VEOA, 30% disabled).

The Museum Specialist (Geology) will use their knowledge to execute a broad range of tasks associated with use, management, outreach, and physical care of collections in the museum.

In this position, you will:

• Perform assignments and collections management support duties that may include the processing and distribution of scientific collections in the Department of Paleobiology.
• Provide expertise in conservation, collections facilities and environment, storage, packing and shipping, registration, cataloging, processing loan, disposal, acquisition requests, and information management.
• Prepare paleontology collection items as traditional museum study collection items and in accordance with professional standards in museum collections.
• Perform work associated with cataloging, inventorying, and digitizing paleontology collections and creates collection item records in museum collections information systems.
• Assist visiting scientists and the general public in providing information and/or access to the collections and/or specimens.

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website.

Must be able to safely and repeatedly lift and carry 30 pounds independently and lift 50 pounds with another person.

May be required to climb ladders.

May work with dry or fluid-preserved museum collections using personal protective equipment (PPE). May be required to be fitted with a respirator.

Use of a forklift, or scissor lift may be required. May be required to obtain, and maintain, appropriate license/certification.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factor Required for this position:

• Knowledge of paleontology collections, including cataloging, documenting, organizing, and rehousing fossil specimens.

**Candidates who do not meet the Selective Placement Factors will not receive further consideration for this position.

AND

Experience for GS-09: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal Service.  

For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience working with fossil specimens, including physical care of paleontology collections, collections documentation and cataloging, working with researchers to provide collections access, and using collection information systems and databases. 

Advanced training in a vocational school, technical institute, or art institute above the high school level in one of the fields listed above is creditable as general experience on a month-for-month basis.

Or Education:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- Geology/Paleontology or a related field.

Grade 9: Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s or equivalent degree related to this position may be substituted to meet the experience requirements.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

• Knowledge of museum collection management policies and procedures including registration, cataloguing, loaning, permitting, curation, item identification and preservation.
• Knowledge of paleontology, including experience describing fossil specimens using paleontological terminology and systematics such as geologic time, stratigraphy, and classification systems for fossil flora and fauna.
• Knowledge of computer operation and use of a variety of database software programs involved in managing scientific collection items such as cataloging practices including entering, modifying, querying data, and producing reports.
• Ability to assist researchers with collections access, proper handling of collection items, and answer questions from the scientific community and general public about the collection.

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be evaluated and rated by a Subject Matter Exert. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made. The determination is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

• Primary Appointing Authorities for Career and Career-Conditional Appointments
• Hiring Authorities for Veterans
• People with Disabilities

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.