Summary Open to the first 50 applicants or until 01/30/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network is April-November, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2024 Responsibilities The Biological Technician (plants) will help implement a long-term ecological monitoring program for vegetation in 13 park units. The incumbent visits field sites to implement and supervise data collection. The position will involve a combination of office work, field time, and travel to the parks. The incumbent is supervised by the NGPN Vegetation Ecologist. This position works 10-hour days and requires constant travel to parks within Nebraska, Wyoming, South and North Dakota. Crew members will be required to hike off trail with heavy packs, sometimes in extremely hot weather or through thick vegetation. The anticipated field season is May through October, with some office work at the beginning and end of the season. This position will act as a Crew Leader for plant monitoring: Works with the Vegetation Ecology to organize and execute the plant data collection using established network monitoring protocols. Accurately identifying Northern Great Plains vegetation to the species level in the field or in the office using standard floras. Training crew members in appropriate data collection, entry, and verification methods. Organize and execute fieldwork in remote backcountry settings and under difficult conditions in a safe and efficient manner. Ensuring crew safety. Organize data entry and train crew to follow quality assurance procedures to ensure accurate data transcription into established databases. Maintaining field and camping equipment. Write reports and interpret monitoring results by analyzing data and creating graphs using R Software for natural resource managers. Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., equipment and packs 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. 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 may be required to work weekends and overtime. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 4 to 10 nights per month. 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. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/30/2024-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-07 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 experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: serving as a project lead to implement invasive plant control efforts; analyzing and providing botanical data for long-term planning efforts; conducting botanical surveys to be used in long term monitoring for vegetation; developing site restoration plans, and/or natural resource monitoring that includes vegetation surveys, etc. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one year of graduate level education in an accredited educational institution concentrated in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as in biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics, natural resources management or related disciplines appropriate to this position. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled, such as botany, plant physiology, plant sciences, soils, plant genetics, plant taxonomy. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. 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. 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 and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. This is NOT a 100% telework position - the selectee(s) will be expected to report to the duty location listed above. 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; specials 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 of 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 and 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.