Supervisory Biologist

Duties

Summary

This position is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the Division of Science and Resource Management.

Responsibilities

This position is located in the Vegetation Ecology and Management Branch of the Division of Science and Resource Management at Grand Teton National Park. The incumbent plays a key role in the management of park resources through their role leading the Invasive Plant Management Program, providing expertise in natural resource management through interdisciplinary teamwork, and providing leadership to other vegetation management program areas. The vegetation branch consists of four permanent employees and 20-30 seasonal employees who collaborate with other park staff, volunteers, local and regional workgroups, and academic institutions to support the conservation of native plants and ecosystems. Grand Teton National Park is home to over 900 plant species, with a diverse array of communities ranging from shrub-steppe and riparian corridors to forested foothills and alpine tundra.

The primary function of this biologist position is to oversee a comprehensive program of invasive plant management. Major duties include:

• Supervise complex operations of 14-20 seasonal positions as well as large work groups, volunteers, and contractors.
• Generate annual work plans; direct invasive plant treatments; prioritize species for survey and control; oversee data collection and treatment efficacy monitoring.
• Work collaboratively with other Science and Resource Management staff, GRTE staff, and external partners; collaborate for science communication and education.
• Apply current ecological restoration science, practice, and principles to invasive plant management and ecological restoration planning and implementation.
• Serve on park interdisciplinary team for planning and design efforts, providing recommendations to avoid, minimize or mitigate resource impacts.
• The incumbent will have a range of other duties occupying a smaller proportion of time that could include: range management, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), rare plant survey and monitoring and/or serving on local or regional committees or task forces.

Work Environment: This work is performed both in an office setting and in the field with a greater portion of time in the office. Office work requires working at a computer for long periods of time and at times in meetings.

Physical Demands: Field work may require work in harsh and varied weather out of doors, at high altitudes and require carry a pack (30-50 lbs) over varied terrain for extended periods of time. May require the operation of trucks and all-terrain vehicles. Assignments will require travel in terrain frequented by grizzly bears and/or other potentially dangerous wildlife.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

Yes

Promotion Potential

None

• Job family (Series)

  0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences

• Requirements

  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 will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • 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. 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-04/07/2020-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 number of hours worked per week.

  Time-in-Grade Requirements: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  BASIC REQUIREMENTS EDUCATION: There is a positive education position. You must meet one of the education requirements listed here along with the specialized experience list below. You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts/documentation that show how you meet the below requirements. If you do not submit proof your will be found not qualified.
  BASIC REQUIREMENT BIOLOGIST GS-401: Degree: 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.ORCOMBINATION EDUCATION/SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION BIOLOGIST GS-401:: Equivalent combination of education and experience that included course work equivalent to a major (i.e., 24 semester hours) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a discipline closely related to biology; PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above.
  - AND -

  To qualify for this position, 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-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: managing or supervising in invasive plant management, revegetation, habitat restoration, wetland delineation, native and nonnative plant identification, classification and taxonomy of vegetation types, reclamation and rehabilitation of disturbed lands, soil assessments and developing scientific monitoring of vegetation communities. You must include hours per week worked and the grade level of any federal position.-OR-EDUCATION: Successful completion of at PhD or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PhD or equivalent graduate degree in a field that is directly related to biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must include transcripts.-OR-

  Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Experience and education should be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal 100% when combined. Only graduate education in excess of the first 2 years is creditable when combined.

  NOTE: You must submit a copy of your school transcript(s) if qualifications are based on education. One year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full- time graduate study.

  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

  This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

  Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

  If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=AlternateApplicationInformation.

  How You Will Be Evaluated

  You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

  A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

  Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

  Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

  You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Applies Technology to Tasks

  • Botany

  • Leadership

  • Partnering

  • Planning and Evaluating

  • Research

  You must submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

  If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

  Background checks and security clearance

  Security clearance

  Not Required

  Drug test required

  No

  Position sensitivity and risk

  Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

  Trust determination process

  Suitability/Fitness

• Required Documents

  Required Documents

  The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/07/2020.

  • Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect either full-time or 40 hours per week. If a part-time work schedule is reflected, the hours must be annotated to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

  • A complete Occupational Questionnaire

  • Merit Promotion Eligibility Documentation such as:

    • Federal employees must submit a copy of their latest SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" that reflects career or career-conditional tenure, such as the initial hire, promotion, or reassignment, showing position title, series, grade and tenure (please do not submit an Award SF-50 unless it provides the necessary information) and, if different, an SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held.
    • Veterans Preference Documentation (e.g. DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter as appropriate)

    • LMWFA: Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.

    • Documentation of other special hiring authorities. Preview the assessment questionnaire in the "How to Apply" section. The first set of questions asks about your eligibility for various hiring authorities as well as outlines what documentation is required to verify your eligibility.

  • Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:

    • Veterans Preference Documentation:

      • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
      • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
      • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.

    • Performance Appraisals and Awards:

      • All applicants must submit their most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor or, if one is unavailable, a statement as to why it is not available (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level).
      • Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

  • College transcripts - REQUIRED.

  • Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

  Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

  Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• Benefits

  Benefits

  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. Learn more about federal benefits.

  Review our 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.

Help

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• Family of overseas employees

  Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is, or was, working overseas.

• Federal employees - Competitive service

  Current or former competitive service federal employees.

• Individuals with disabilities

• Land & base management

  Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

• Military spouses

• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

• Veterans

Clarification from the agency

Special authorities include Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act and Public Land Corp. Select a hiring path under "This job is open to" to learn more about each authority and what documentation is required to apply using that authority. See also the Assessment Questionnaire explanation of required documents.