Biological Science Technician

Summary This position is located in North Cascades National Park, in the Division of Resource Management. This is a term position (more than 1 year) with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of four years. Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service. Open to the first 101 applicants or until 11/18/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities Major Duties: Conduct program operations in backcountry settings, carrying a backpack weighing up to 50lbs, in steep, slippery and uneven terrain and in adverse weather conditions; Traveling up to 15 miles per day and staying out 1 to 5 nights per week. Participate in non-native fish removal projects using gill nets and piscicides. Inventory and monitor aquatic ecosystems following written protocols. Conducts field & lab work independently and leads others, while maintaining a safe work environment. Condition of employment: Must obtain a Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) pesticide applicator's license and to maintain the certification for the duration of the appointment. Condition of employment: Must obtain a DOI Helicopter Crewmember qualification (S-271) and maintain the qualification for the duration of the appointment. 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 may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license. There is no housing available for this position. This position has a mixed work schedule based on the varying workload, and your work schedule is subject to change from part-time to full-time to on-call as workload dictates. Full-time status approximately April through December. Part-time status from January through March. If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. You will be required to complete a one-year trial period. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 16 nights per month during peak season approximately from June through September. 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. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/18/2024-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 possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: To qualify at the GS-09: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-08 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This Qualifying specialized experience must include (1) conducting natural resource studies related to aquatic ecosystems; (2) managing and analyzing natural resource data; (3) leading crews conducting aquatic field work in remote backcountry areas. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two years of graduate study (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) concentrated in a field that is directly related to the work of this position such as biology, limnology, ecology, environmental science, hydrology or statistics.(1 year of full time study equals 18 semester hours) You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, six months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 27 semester hours of graduate study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education). For this combination, only semester hours beyond the first year of graduate education are credible. 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. ICTAP/CTAP Clearance (Example: Rehires): REMEMBER TO UPDATE THE "WHO MAY APPLY" FIELD- 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. 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. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001). 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. 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. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. 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: The work requires physical exertion such as walking or climbing over wet, rough, uneven and/or rocky surfaces;bending, courching, stooping or reaching to observe, collect and/or record field data; or in some situations the work may require physical exertion to handle wild animals, prepare soil for planting, to scuba dive or operate a boat. Moderately heavy items, such as equipment packs weighing up to 50 pounds, must be lifted and carried on a regular basis. May be required to hike several miles in a day. In other situations, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination. Working Conditions: The work environment varies from office/laboratory settings to field sites. The work performed in the field involves regular and recurring exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, poisonous plants, biting insects and wild animals. The employee is required to use protective clothing such as gowns, coats, boots, googles, gloves. 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.