Biological Science Technician (Vegetation Monitoring)
DutiesThese positions will assist the park Botanist by performing biological science technical support functions including plant identification, detailed plant monitoring, data entry, equipment management, and specimen processing.
Projects include long-term forest monitoring, rare plant monitoring, meadow monitoring, and plant protection activities.
Incumbents collect and organize natural resources data, and enter data into computer spreadsheets and databases daily or weekly.
Data summary and basic report writing is required.
Some protective barrier repair, and replanting of confiscated plants may also be required.
Incumbent may oversee lower graded employees and volunteers, and also take an active role in the maintenance and management of monitoring related field equipment, documents, images, and protocols.
Actively participate on a field crew of 2-5 people to gather vegetation monitoring data and provide periodic field leadership to 1-2 technicians or interns gathering vegetation monitoring data.
Provide assistance and help direct others in the completion of administrative duties such as data entry, image processing, and protocol revisions in support of vegetation monitoring projects.
Develop field reports and summaries using literature reviews, images, graphs, and maps.
Maintain and organize specialized equipment used for data collection and vegetation monitoring and management.
Assist with training and supervision of lower-graded employees, interns, or volunteers engaged in vegetation monitoring or protection projects.
Required to use chemical tick bite prevention measures (Permanone) on exterior of clothing and equipment.
POSITION LOCATION:
Shenandoah National Park contains 197,000 forested acres along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia.
The Park's backcountry consists of more than 500 miles of trails, including 95 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and nearly 80,000 acres of federally designated wilderness.
Skyline Drive, the famous scenic tour road through the Park, follows the ridge crest for 105 miles from Front Royal to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesboro.
Over a million people visit the Park each year to enjoy views from the Skyline Drive , hike trails, enjoy nature study, camp in campgrounds or in the backcountry, or stay overnight in one of the Park's rustic lodges or backcountry cabins.
The Park supports approximately 1,400 vascular plant species, numerous state-rare plant species, and a variety of forest community types.
The mountain streams are inhabited by a variety of species of fishes and provide some of the best protected strongholds for native eastern brook trout.
Additional Information:
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.
For specific questions pertaining to the position being advertised, please contact Wendy_Cass@nps.
gov or 540-999-3500 x3432.
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-1612-SHEN-22-11325231-DE in the subject line.
RequirementsConditions of Employment U.
S.
Citizenship required.
Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
You may 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 may also 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 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.
Government housing is not available.
You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards.
A uniform allowance will be provided.
Required to use chemical tick bite prevention measures (Permanone) on exterior of clothing and equipment.
You may occasionally be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
You may occasionally be required to travel overnight away from home.
You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
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.
QualificationsAll qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/07/2022.
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 full year of specialized biological science technician experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).
This experience includes activities such as:
vegetation inventory or monitoring; field research involving vegetation plot or transect sampling; using various techniques to gather vegetation data; identifying and monitoring vegetation in support of field resource management projects.
You must include hours per week worked.
-OR- EDUCATION:
Successful completion of at least four years of study above high school (120 semester hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours of course work in a related field of study such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics.
(At least 6 semester hours of this course work must have been in subjects that were directly related to the work of this position, such as botany, plants, or other natural resource topics related to vegetation monitoring.
).
You must include transcripts.
-OR- COMBINATION:
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above.
(NOTE:
Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements.
Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to one year of specialized experience.
) For example, 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years (90 semester hours) of college study from an accredited institution as described above (50% of the qualifying education) which included at least 12 semester hours of related coursework as specified above of which at least 3 semester hours was in plant, botany, or natural resource related subjects (50% of the related coursework required).
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.
EducationTo 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 informationA selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid.
All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employee.
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:
All positions involve hiking and backpacking for long distances over rough and steep terrain, carrying backpack loads up to 40 pounds, in all types of weather with frequent exposure to biting insects, extreme humidity and heat, or cold, wind and rain.
Work also involves extensive time spent stooping, bending, and crawling through vegetation.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
Click the following link for more information, https:
//help.
usastaffing.
gov/Apply/index.
php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.
.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
Projects include long-term forest monitoring, rare plant monitoring, meadow monitoring, and plant protection activities.
Incumbents collect and organize natural resources data, and enter data into computer spreadsheets and databases daily or weekly.
Data summary and basic report writing is required.
Some protective barrier repair, and replanting of confiscated plants may also be required.
Incumbent may oversee lower graded employees and volunteers, and also take an active role in the maintenance and management of monitoring related field equipment, documents, images, and protocols.
Actively participate on a field crew of 2-5 people to gather vegetation monitoring data and provide periodic field leadership to 1-2 technicians or interns gathering vegetation monitoring data.
Provide assistance and help direct others in the completion of administrative duties such as data entry, image processing, and protocol revisions in support of vegetation monitoring projects.
Develop field reports and summaries using literature reviews, images, graphs, and maps.
Maintain and organize specialized equipment used for data collection and vegetation monitoring and management.
Assist with training and supervision of lower-graded employees, interns, or volunteers engaged in vegetation monitoring or protection projects.
Required to use chemical tick bite prevention measures (Permanone) on exterior of clothing and equipment.
POSITION LOCATION:
Shenandoah National Park contains 197,000 forested acres along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia.
The Park's backcountry consists of more than 500 miles of trails, including 95 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and nearly 80,000 acres of federally designated wilderness.
Skyline Drive, the famous scenic tour road through the Park, follows the ridge crest for 105 miles from Front Royal to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesboro.
Over a million people visit the Park each year to enjoy views from the Skyline Drive , hike trails, enjoy nature study, camp in campgrounds or in the backcountry, or stay overnight in one of the Park's rustic lodges or backcountry cabins.
The Park supports approximately 1,400 vascular plant species, numerous state-rare plant species, and a variety of forest community types.
The mountain streams are inhabited by a variety of species of fishes and provide some of the best protected strongholds for native eastern brook trout.
Additional Information:
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.
For specific questions pertaining to the position being advertised, please contact Wendy_Cass@nps.
gov or 540-999-3500 x3432.
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-1612-SHEN-22-11325231-DE in the subject line.
RequirementsConditions of Employment U.
S.
Citizenship required.
Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
You may 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 may also 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 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.
Government housing is not available.
You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards.
A uniform allowance will be provided.
Required to use chemical tick bite prevention measures (Permanone) on exterior of clothing and equipment.
You may occasionally be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
You may occasionally be required to travel overnight away from home.
You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
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.
QualificationsAll qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/07/2022.
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 full year of specialized biological science technician experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).
This experience includes activities such as:
vegetation inventory or monitoring; field research involving vegetation plot or transect sampling; using various techniques to gather vegetation data; identifying and monitoring vegetation in support of field resource management projects.
You must include hours per week worked.
-OR- EDUCATION:
Successful completion of at least four years of study above high school (120 semester hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours of course work in a related field of study such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics.
(At least 6 semester hours of this course work must have been in subjects that were directly related to the work of this position, such as botany, plants, or other natural resource topics related to vegetation monitoring.
).
You must include transcripts.
-OR- COMBINATION:
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above.
(NOTE:
Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements.
Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to one year of specialized experience.
) For example, 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years (90 semester hours) of college study from an accredited institution as described above (50% of the qualifying education) which included at least 12 semester hours of related coursework as specified above of which at least 3 semester hours was in plant, botany, or natural resource related subjects (50% of the related coursework required).
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.
EducationTo 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 informationA selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid.
All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employee.
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:
All positions involve hiking and backpacking for long distances over rough and steep terrain, carrying backpack loads up to 40 pounds, in all types of weather with frequent exposure to biting insects, extreme humidity and heat, or cold, wind and rain.
Work also involves extensive time spent stooping, bending, and crawling through vegetation.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
Click the following link for more information, https:
//help.
usastaffing.
gov/Apply/index.
php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.
.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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