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Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Plants)

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

Summary

These positions are located in Acadia National Park, in the Resource Management Division.

The typical seasonal period for Acadia National Park is May-November, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: May 2026

Open to the first 100 applicants or until 12/17/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
12/03/2025 to 12/06/2025
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$19.33 to - $31.12 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Location
Acadia National Park
Bar Harbor, ME
4 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to Exceed 1039 Hours
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Full time and Part Time (Part Time hours will be between 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-ACAD-26-12843233-DE
Control number
851434300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

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

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Duties

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Duties at the GS-05 grade level.

  • Implement established natural resource management projects. Following instructions and standardized procedures, collects and organizes field data.
  • Ensure adequate quality control of data collected. Performs routine and recurring testing of collected samples.
  • Record all data collected and provides preliminary assessment and classification of the information. Seeks assistance for situations not covered.
  • Works with crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation.
Duties at the GS-06 grade level.
  • Make field observations of natural resource conditions.
  • Evaluate observed conditions and problems and makes preliminary determinations on the cause of problems noted.
  • Provide results to higher-level specialists for analysis. Assists in the preparation of reports, plans, and guidelines.
  • Draft project reports may include literature research, descriptions of methods, preparation of graphs and charts, and summary of findings.
  • Leads crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation.
Duties at the full performance level GS-07 grade level.
  • Record data relating to plant studies.
  • Document occurrence and distribution of identified species.
  • Participate in environmental studies documenting factors affecting plant species and habitat.
  • Lead or conduct field searches for populations of sensitive, threatened or endangered plant species.
  • Photograph, collect and mount plant specimens encountered at different stages of development.
  • Collect ecological site information for population distribution, condition, trend, associated species, geology, soil type and prepare reports.
  • Leads crews managing invasive plants and restoring native vegetation.
Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, ME):
4 Vacancies
Grade 05 Pay Scale: $19.33-$25.12
Grade 06 Pay Scale: $21.54-$28.00
Grade 07 Pay Scale: $23.94-$31.12

Area Information: Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, serves as the duty station. Acadia National Park is located 50 miles southeast of Bangor, Maine, and 240 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. Acadia National Park protects a landscape of rare scenic beauty. Acadia's mountains are the highest rocky headlands on the Atlantic shore of the United States, and the vistas from these mountaintops encompass forested woodlands, shimmering lakes, quiet marshes, bold rocky shores, and coastal islands. Surrounding the park on all sides, the ocean strongly influences the park's character. Visitation exceeds three million visitors annually, with the highest visitation occurring in July and August.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Must have or be able to obtain Maine State Pesticide Applicator License.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • Government housing may be available.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • 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-12/17/2025-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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.

Experience: at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field in the specialization of botany, forestry, ecology, or plant pathology. Examples of specialized experience may include, but are 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 hours per week worked.
-OR-
Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, forestry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to this position. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: Successful completion of a combination of 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.

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

Experience: at least one (1) full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field in the specialization of botany, forestry, ecology, or plant pathology. Examples of specialized experience may include, but are 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 hours per week worked.
-OR-
Education: Successful completion of one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hour or 27 quarter hours) directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture). You must include transcripts. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.

Experience: at least one (1) full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). To meet Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field in the specialization of botany, forestry, ecology, or plant pathology. Examples of specialized experience may include, but is 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 hours per week worked.
-OR-
Education: Successful completion of one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hour or 27 quarter hours) directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: 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. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

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

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.

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., equipment and packs 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.

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


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. The assessment measures the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

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