What are the responsibilities and job description for the Biological Science Technician (Plants) position at National Park Service?
Summary
This position is located in a National Park Service (NPS) Unit. The purpose of the position is to perform a wide variety of interrelated or nonstandard biological science technical support assignments in plants.
Open to the first 84 applicants or until 01/10/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.
Learn more about this agency
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Duties
Some of the duties you will perform include, but are not limited to,
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: This is a seasonal position within the Division of Planning and Resource Management. You will be responsible for completing a variety of natural resource projects including exotic and native vegetation, habitat and wildlife monitoring. You are expected to work both independently and as a member of a team/field crew. Work also involves extensive travel by boat on Lake Superior. Fieldwork will involve hiking through dense vegetation and navigating using GPS and compass. Apostle Islands contains 21 islands and 13 miles of the Wisconsin coastline of Lake Superior and is located at the northern tip of the Bayfield Peninsula of Wisconsin 75 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota. The park is best known for its sea caves, kayaking, sailing, beaches and lighthouses.
Badlands National Park: You will serve as a member of an invasive plant management team. Operation of on-and off-road vehicles is a job requirement. ATV Rider course, First Aide/CRP classes and South Dakota Commercial Pesticide Applicator License will be given when you arrive. The required exam for the license may be taken on work time and you must pass within 30 days of your start date. Overtime, weekend, evening work, and travel may be required. Badlands National Park is in southwestern South Dakota, 75 miles east of Rapid City. There is plenty of hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing; the night skies are famous. The park is also surrounded by other National and State Parks.
Wind Cave National Park: This position is in the Resource Management Division. You will be required to work both indoors and outdoors, often under adverse weather conditions. Work requires frequent bending, stooping, walking, standing and working in cramped positions. Wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be required. You must be able to operate ATV, UTVs and herbicide equipment. You will be given an opportunity to take the South Dakota Pesticide exam. Wind Cave National Park includes the sixth longest cave in the world with 150 miles of surveyed passages and numerous backcountry caves. Approximately 70% of the park is mixed-grass prairie with remaining ponderosa pine forest. The park is located in the southern Black Hills of southwest South Dakota. The community of Rapid City is 60 miles away.
Government Housing may be available at each location.
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/10/2025-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 one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized 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: conducting plant censuses and surveys and assembling the information. Following standardized procedures to collect data on the condition of range, grazing or forage. Use statistical methods and procedures to perform testing of field data collected. Install, operate, and maintain resource management equipment prepare graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications relating to plant management activities. Research activity or control program work, nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment. In an outdoor field environment conduct invasive plant control utilizing chemical, mechanical, and manual methods, conducting site rehabilitation through soil preparation, planting, propagating, weeding, and collecting native seed. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least Successful completion of at least a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least twenty-four (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 six (6) semester hours are directly related to the position such as botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, etc. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your course work and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit. You must submit a copy of your transcripts that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific course work information as described previously, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take education beyond the sixty (60) semester hours above high school is considered qualifying when combined with specialized experience. Thirty (30) semester hours beyond the first sixty (60) is equivalent to six (6) months of specialized experience. For example, six (6) month of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience requirement) and 90 semester hours with at least twelve (12) semester hours related to the position and three (3) hours directly related to the position (50% of the education requirement) would be considered qualifying. NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. 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.
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.
CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85
on the assessment questionnaire and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: USAJOBS Help Center | Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
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.
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. 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.
Read more
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Interior Region 3, 4 and 5
601 Riverfront Drive
Omaha, NE 68102
US
This position is located in a National Park Service (NPS) Unit. The purpose of the position is to perform a wide variety of interrelated or nonstandard biological science technical support assignments in plants.
Open to the first 84 applicants or until 01/10/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.
Learn more about this agency
Help
Duties
Some of the duties you will perform include, but are not limited to,
- Manage exotic plants by using chemical, mechanical, and biological techniques.
- Use GPS equipment to record treatment areas.
- Maintain and operate application equipment.
- Establish and maintain vegetation restoration projects.
- Utilize a variety of computer programs to compile, store, retrieve, analyze and report data including GIS.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: This is a seasonal position within the Division of Planning and Resource Management. You will be responsible for completing a variety of natural resource projects including exotic and native vegetation, habitat and wildlife monitoring. You are expected to work both independently and as a member of a team/field crew. Work also involves extensive travel by boat on Lake Superior. Fieldwork will involve hiking through dense vegetation and navigating using GPS and compass. Apostle Islands contains 21 islands and 13 miles of the Wisconsin coastline of Lake Superior and is located at the northern tip of the Bayfield Peninsula of Wisconsin 75 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota. The park is best known for its sea caves, kayaking, sailing, beaches and lighthouses.
Badlands National Park: You will serve as a member of an invasive plant management team. Operation of on-and off-road vehicles is a job requirement. ATV Rider course, First Aide/CRP classes and South Dakota Commercial Pesticide Applicator License will be given when you arrive. The required exam for the license may be taken on work time and you must pass within 30 days of your start date. Overtime, weekend, evening work, and travel may be required. Badlands National Park is in southwestern South Dakota, 75 miles east of Rapid City. There is plenty of hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing; the night skies are famous. The park is also surrounded by other National and State Parks.
Wind Cave National Park: This position is in the Resource Management Division. You will be required to work both indoors and outdoors, often under adverse weather conditions. Work requires frequent bending, stooping, walking, standing and working in cramped positions. Wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be required. You must be able to operate ATV, UTVs and herbicide equipment. You will be given an opportunity to take the South Dakota Pesticide exam. Wind Cave National Park includes the sixth longest cave in the world with 150 miles of surveyed passages and numerous backcountry caves. Approximately 70% of the park is mixed-grass prairie with remaining ponderosa pine forest. The park is located in the southern Black Hills of southwest South Dakota. The community of Rapid City is 60 miles away.
Government Housing may be available at each location.
Help
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- 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.
- You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
- You may 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.
- At Badlands National Park: You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 14 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- 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.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/10/2025-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 one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized 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: conducting plant censuses and surveys and assembling the information. Following standardized procedures to collect data on the condition of range, grazing or forage. Use statistical methods and procedures to perform testing of field data collected. Install, operate, and maintain resource management equipment prepare graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications relating to plant management activities. Research activity or control program work, nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment. In an outdoor field environment conduct invasive plant control utilizing chemical, mechanical, and manual methods, conducting site rehabilitation through soil preparation, planting, propagating, weeding, and collecting native seed. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least Successful completion of at least a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least twenty-four (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 six (6) semester hours are directly related to the position such as botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, etc. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your course work and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit. You must submit a copy of your transcripts that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific course work information as described previously, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take education beyond the sixty (60) semester hours above high school is considered qualifying when combined with specialized experience. Thirty (30) semester hours beyond the first sixty (60) is equivalent to six (6) months of specialized experience. For example, six (6) month of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience requirement) and 90 semester hours with at least twelve (12) semester hours related to the position and three (3) hours directly related to the position (50% of the education requirement) would be considered qualifying. NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. 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.
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.
CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85
on the assessment questionnaire and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: USAJOBS Help Center | Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
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.
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. 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.
Read more
- Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Interior Region 3, 4 and 5
601 Riverfront Drive
Omaha, NE 68102
US
Training Specialist
South Dakota Science and Technology Authority -
Lead, SD
Yates Shaft Superintendent
South Dakota Science and Technology Authority -
Lead, SD
Middle School Science Teacher
Chadron Public Schools -
Chadron, NE
