Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Plants)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Minute Man National Historical Park

Summary

The typical seasonal period for these positions is April through October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2026.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/30/2025 to 01/22/2026
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$21.89 to - $35.25 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Location
Concord, MA
3 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to Exceed 1039 Hours
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Full Time and Part Time (16-32 Hours per week)
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
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
NE-1611-MIMA-26-12843298-DE
Control number
853336600

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP).

Videos

Duties

Help

Major Duties:

  • Implements established natural resource management projects. Following instructions and standardized procedures, collects and organizes field data. Ensures adequate quality control of data collected. Performs routine and recurring testing of collected samples. Records all data collected and provides preliminary assessment and classification of the information. Seeks assistance for situations not covered by instructions or guidelines.
  • Identify and treat invasive plants by mechanical and/or biological methods. Records treatments via Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and associated databases.
  • Plans field projects, independently choosing from among several possible courses of action at different stages of each project (e.g., selects site locations, sampling techniques, appropriate equipment, logistics, etc.).
  • Makes field observations of natural resource conditions. Evaluates observed conditions and problems, and interprets variables, trends, correlations, and interrelationships among data and conditions. Recommends management actions based on prescribed guidelines in existing park.
Additional Pay Scale Information:
GS-5: $21.89 - $28.45 per hour ($45,679 - $59,377 annually)
GS-6: $24.40 - $31.72 per hour ($50,920 - $66,193 annually)
GS-7: $27.11 - $35.25 per hour ($56,584 - $73,563 annually)


One position or more will be filled at ANY or ONE grade level with no promotion potential.

AREA INFORMATION

Minute Man National Historical Park is located 16 miles west of Boston, Massachusetts in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington, MA. The Park preserves and interprets the historic structures and landscapes associated with the opening of the American Revolution that lie along the route of the battle of April 19, 1775, as well as notable literary figures. Spanning 1,000 acres and consisting of 4 units, structures within the park include the North Bridge, 5.5-mile Battle Road Trail, 11 witness homes that were present at the time of the battle, extensive archaeological resources, and The Wayside, home of Bronson Alcott, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorn, and Margaret Sidney. The park receives about one million visitors a year.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/22/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

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. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-5 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-4 level in federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field with specialization of botany, forestry, ecology, or plant pathology. Examples of specialized experience may include but is not limited to utilizing various techniques to gather biological samples; identifying, measuring, or counting organisms of the environment, and recording the data; or performing a variety of behavioral or measured data collection activities in support of field resource management projects. You must include the number of hours worked per week within your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited educational institution (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) which included at least 24 semester hours of scientific or technical courses, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to Botany/Plants. You must submit transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Successful completion of a COMBINATIONof education and experience as described above. To combine education and the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a bachelor's degree, in excess of 60 semester hours, and divide by 60 semester hours (or equivalent) Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts and hours worked per week on your resume.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:
You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level in federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field with specialization of botany, forestry, ecology, or plant pathology. Examples of specialized experience may include but not limited to working with field crews in invasive plant control; implementing revegetation projects; maintaining a native plant nursery (e.g. weeding, watering, installing plants); and collecting vegetation data and photographic documentation in support of invasive plant management and restoration projects. You must include the number of hours worked per week within your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hours) in coursework directly related to the work of this position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, natural resource management). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of experience requirement), and 6 months of graduate education as described above (50% of education requirement). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

To qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-6 level. Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field may include but not limited to surveying, mapping and documenting botany species; researching and compiling botany inventory data; leading or conducting field inventories or studies of botany species and invasive plants; leading crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation; and researching and identifying botany data and compiling data for review in established or new databases. You must include the number of hours worked per week within your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hour or 27 quarter hours) directly related to this position. Examples of directly related education are biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 18 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. This totals 100% of the requirements and meets the qualification requirements for GS-07 grade level. You must include transcripts and hours worked per week on your resume.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards.

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

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.

Additional information

Open to the first 50 applicants or until 01/22/2026 whichever comes first. The first 50 qualified and eligible candidates who applied will be considered for referral to the selecting official. Additional candidates may be referred based on hiring needs and/or Hiring Manager request.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Selectee must possess or get a Massachusetts Pesticide Applicators License within three weeks of start.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

Working Conditions: The work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Field work includes exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

For additional information regarding this announcement or how to apply, please contact the HR Office at the number or email provided under the "agency contact information" section.

Email is the preferred method of inquiry as it provides the fastest response time. When inquiring by email please include the job announcement number NE-1611-MIMA-26-12843298-DE in the subject line.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Botany
  • Ecology
  • Oral Communication
  • Physical Strength
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.