What are the responsibilities and job description for the Biological Science Technician (Fire Effects Monitor) - Direct Hire Authority position at U.S. Department of the Interior?
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Duties
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/05/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 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 qualified specialized experience.
Gs-06
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level.
Examples of specialized experience include: Installation of vegetation monitoring plots to assess fire effects; collection of vegetation, weather, or ecological field data; collection of wildland fuels data; observation and reporting of fire behavior.
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.
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
ICTAP/CTAP Statement: 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.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.
Position Information
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Full-Time, Career Seasonal
These are Career-Seasonal positions. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. On an annual basis, employee signs a "career-seasonal" agreement with the supervisor which defines the work schedule for that year. After 90 days in this position, employee's work schedule may be changed to a permanent non-career seasonal position. In which case they will work 12 months per year.
Grand Canyon National Park Career-Seasonal appointment: Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 20 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 12/15 through 3/15.
For more information contact: lisa_handforth@nps.gov
Rocky Mountain National Park Career-Seasonal appointment: Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 20 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 11/15 through 2/20.
For more information contact: nathan_williamson@nps.gov
Zion National Park Career-Seasonal appointment: Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 20 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 11/30 through 2/21.
For more information contact: kayla_ronsani@nps.gov
Additional information
This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority".
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. Pay rates vary depending on location, the salary shown is for the "Rest of the U.S." See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates: Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality 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.
Physical Demands: In addition to working in an office/laboratory setting, the work involves walking, running, climbing, and backpacking with a load over rough terrain, sometimes for extended periods; lifting moderately heavy items; bending and stooping for long periods; and working under occasionally inclement (cold, hot, snow, wind) weather conditions.
Work Environment: Work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Fieldwork includes exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, biting insects, wild animals, high pollen levels, dermatitis-causing plants, and poisonous snakes. Incumbent may be required to fly in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft and may be required to work in actual fire situations, which can be hazardous.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): 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 SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)
A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR
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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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be evaluated based on how well they meet the qualification requirements.
Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of the application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.
This vacancy will be filled through DOI's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.
If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.
If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the employee will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.
Duties
Be a successful applicant. Watch this 5 minute video to learn how to create a federal resume.
- Conduct vegetation and fuel sampling to assess the effectiveness of prescribed burns and fuel treatments.
- Establish and maintain monitoring plots in a variety of vegetation/fuel types in accordance with established guidelines and directions.
- Assist with preparation of data and equipment for field season, work plan development, field work schedule, and data management and quality control tasks.
- Assist with training technicians and volunteers in data collection, field navigation, data management, and plant identification techniques.
- Perform monitoring duties during active planned and unplanned wildland fires, as qualified.
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.
- Depending on location, occupancy of government quarters may be required.
- Depending on location, government housing may be available.
- 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/or shift work.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
- If selected for a position/location that requires arduous duties, search and rescue, emergency response, use of firearms, or watercraft operation, you will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
- If selected for a position/location 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 be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- Work is outdoors and you may be exposed to extreme weather, terrain, etc.
- May work in fire situations and/or requiring you to fly in aircraft
- Depending on location government housing may be available.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/05/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 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 qualified specialized experience.
Gs-06
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level.
Examples of specialized experience include: Installation of vegetation monitoring plots to assess fire effects; collection of vegetation, weather, or ecological field data; collection of wildland fuels data; observation and reporting of fire behavior.
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.
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
ICTAP/CTAP Statement: 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.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.
Position Information
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Full-Time, Career Seasonal
These are Career-Seasonal positions. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. On an annual basis, employee signs a "career-seasonal" agreement with the supervisor which defines the work schedule for that year. After 90 days in this position, employee's work schedule may be changed to a permanent non-career seasonal position. In which case they will work 12 months per year.
Grand Canyon National Park Career-Seasonal appointment: Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 20 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 12/15 through 3/15.
For more information contact: lisa_handforth@nps.gov
Rocky Mountain National Park Career-Seasonal appointment: Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 20 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 11/15 through 2/20.
For more information contact: nathan_williamson@nps.gov
Zion National Park Career-Seasonal appointment: Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 20 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 11/30 through 2/21.
For more information contact: kayla_ronsani@nps.gov
Additional information
This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority".
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. Pay rates vary depending on location, the salary shown is for the "Rest of the U.S." See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates: Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality 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.
Physical Demands: In addition to working in an office/laboratory setting, the work involves walking, running, climbing, and backpacking with a load over rough terrain, sometimes for extended periods; lifting moderately heavy items; bending and stooping for long periods; and working under occasionally inclement (cold, hot, snow, wind) weather conditions.
Work Environment: Work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Fieldwork includes exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, biting insects, wild animals, high pollen levels, dermatitis-causing plants, and poisonous snakes. Incumbent may be required to fly in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft and may be required to work in actual fire situations, which can be hazardous.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): 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 SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)
A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR
- 575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.
Read more
- Help 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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be evaluated based on how well they meet the qualification requirements.
Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of the application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.
This vacancy will be filled through DOI's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.
If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.
If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the employee will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.
