Summary This position is located in National Capital Area Office, in the National Capital Area Division. This position is located in a National Park Service organization. The purpose of the position is to perform routine and uncomplicated biological science tasks common to natural resource management. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 02/05/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities The major duties of the Biological Science Technician (Plants) position include, but are not limited to, the following: Collect field data concerning plant ecology using established monitoring protocols. Perform various field tasks related to quantitative plant ecology, including: installation and maintenance of permanent forest monitoring plots; navigation to remote field sites using global positioning system (GPS) technologies, maps, and a compass; measurement of trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, sedges, and grasses; description of forest canopy and habitat characteristics; collection of GPS and photo point data; and identification and collection of plant specimens. Perform in remote and urban locations, and will require attention to safety, long hikes carrying field gear, comfort working in wetland habitats, and excellent field biology skills. Must be familiar with and able to identify vascular plant species of the mid-Atlantic region. Responsible for vegetation inventory and monitoring; delineating, mapping, and classifying plant communities; preparing detailed site descriptions of rare or non-native plant occurrences; collecting voucher specimens; preparing and maintaining equipment; assisting in the herbarium, including maintaining specimens, preparing labels, and identifying specimens. Perform data entry, basic manipulation, and implementation of quality control procedures, assist with report writing, data analysis, and presentation preparation. Requirements Conditions 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 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 work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1 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-02/05/2024-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, you must meet one the following Basic Requirements in order to be eligible for this position: BASIC REQUIREMENT: If you do not meet these basic requirements, you will be considered not qualified and will not receive consideration for this position. I have specialized experience that includes one or more of the following: (1) research activity or control program work, (2) nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment, or (3) work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice. -OR- I have successfully completed a full 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-05 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work. To qualify for the Biological Science Technician (Plants) position at the GS-05 grade, you must meet the following minimum qualifications by the closing date of this 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: (1) performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys (2) participating in site rehabilitation through soil preparation, native seed dispersal, live planting and weeding; (3) applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, chemical, and/or bio-control methods in planned management of exotics (non-natives), native species, and/or weeds. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of course work in a related field of scientific or technical study, such as in biolgoy, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics, or other directly-related subject matter (At least 6 semester hours of this coursework must have been in subjects that were directly related to the work of this position, such as in botany, plants, or other natural resource topics related to vegetation management. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of years of applicable education and divide by 4. 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 months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week. 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. Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., 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 Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire