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Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Plants)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Summary

These vacancies are Temporary Seasonal positions Not to Exceed: 1039 Hours in a service year. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is APRIL / MAY 2026.SALARY INFORMATION:

  • GS-06: $44,959.00 - $58,445.00 Per Year.
  • GS-07: 49,960.00 - $64,952.00 Per Year.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/04/2025 to 03/18/2026
Salary
$44,959 to - $64,952 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6 - 7
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Glen Jean, WV
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 - NTE: 1039 HOURS
Work schedule
Full-time
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-1612-NERI-26-12845373-OC
Control number
851806700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

WHO MAY APPLY: All U.S. Citizens, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP).

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Duties

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This is an open continuous vacancy announcement; applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled; the announcement reaches the closing date stated in the announcement. The first cut-off date is 18-DECEMBER-2025.

MAJOR DUTIES MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

  • Conducts field searches and assessments of rare plant populations, nonnative invasive plant infestations, and plant communities.
  • Controls nonnative invasive plants using integrated pest management methods such as manual hand digging/pulling, mowing, and spraying herbicides. Assists with monitoring effectiveness of treatments.
  • Controls invasive insects, such as hemlock woolly adelgid, using chemical and biological control methods. Monitors forest pest population levels and their impacts on forest health.
  • Assists with restoration efforts of rare plant species and habitats as well as degraded lands. Collects native seeds for propagation and plant trees, shrubs, and other native plants.
  • Collects and enters field data, prepares reports, and summarizes findings.
  • Lead volunteers and technicians in fieldwork.
  • Implements projects to inventory, monitor, restore, and protect the park's plant communities, aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and other natural resources.
  • Organizes and maintains project equipment, supplies, schedules, checklists, maps, data, and other records.
  • Performs data entry, including in spreadsheets, databases, and geodatabases, and carries out quality control checks on data collection and entry performed by others.
  • Provides logistical support and area orientation for contract or cooperating scientists; provides technical information, ensures quality control, and solves logistical or operational problems.
  • Installs, operates, and maintains resource management equipment (e.g., tools, traps, and sampling, monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment); Inventories equipment, evaluates quality assurance compliance, and calibrates equipment as necessary. Orders replacement parts, new equipment, and supplies.
  • Provides advice, assistance, and training to students, student conservation assistants, and volunteers involved in resource management projects and field research.
  • Utilizes a variety of computer programs to compile, reduce, store, retrieve, analyze, and report data and other resource management information, including research and long-term monitoring projects. Maintains and organizes computer databases.
  • Provides information to other employees and visitors about the natural resource management program. May develop and present related interpretive programs to the public.

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.
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • DRIVER'S LICENSE: 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.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • UNIFORM: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • WORK SCHEDULE: You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: 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-03/18/2026-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.

TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-06 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST POSSESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS BY THE CLOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-06 -
At least one 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). The specialized experience required is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work involving biological science support such as: collecting, analyzing and processing samples, performing laboratory work, assisting in the management of field projects, collecting, processing and managing field data, and performing habitat restoration through management of nonnative invasive species and/or native planting. Installs, operates, and maintains resource management equipment (tools, sampling and monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment). Prepares graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications relating to plant management activities.(YOU MUST INCLUDE HOURS PER WEEK WORKED.)

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. (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. (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 THE CLOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-07 -
At least one 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). The specialized experience required is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work involving biological science support such as: collecting, analyzing, and processing samples; performing laboratory work; assisting in the management of field projects; collecting, processing, and managing field data; conducting plant surveys; performing habitat restoration through management of nonnative invasive species and/or native planting; installing, operating, and maintaining resource management equipment (tools, sampling and monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment); and preparing graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications. (YOU MUST INCLUDE HOURS PER WEEK WORKED.)

OR

EDUCATION:
Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester 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 EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 6 months/9 semester hours of graduate education, (50% of the education required to qualify) directly related to this position. Examples of education directly related to the position include biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture. 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.

CTAP / ICTAP: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP or 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).

Additional information


ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS: 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: This position involves routine physical exertion, including prolonged standing; hiking over steep, rough, uneven, and rocky surfaces; using rafts and boats to access riverside work sites; carrying backpacks and backpack sprayers in excess of 30 pounds; and operating power equipment, such as hedge-trimmers and mowers. Independent work in remote field locations is sometimes required. Field work results in exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, wet slippery conditions, swift water, and wild animals.

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

TELEWORK: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework.

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:
  • Biology
  • Research
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application

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