Login

Biological Science Technician (Plants)

National Park Service | Gettysburg, PA

Posted Date 11/27/2023
Description Positions are TEMPORARY seasonal not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year.

Vacancies at multiple park locations.
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.

**INITIAL CUT OFF IS Friday, 8 December 2023**
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 or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement. The first cut-off date is 11:59 pm (est), December 8, 2023.All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/03/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

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. Examples of specialized experience may include 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.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination 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.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You may meet the qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate undergraduate education. Undergraduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position as listed above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-6 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.
EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level. Specialized experience MUST HAVE BEEN in the Biological Technician field and include activities such as: 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.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year of graduate study that is directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture).
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Combinations of successfully completed post-undergrad education that is related to the position as described above and specialized experience. The combined total must equal 100%.

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 and include activities such as: 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.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year of graduate study that is directly related to the work of the position (such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture).
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Combinations of successfully completed post-undergrad education that is related to the position as described above and specialized experience. The combined total must equal 100%.

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.

Share this job