Biological Science Tech (Fire Effects Monitor) Direct Hire Authority

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Duties

Major Duties For The GS-06

• Performs daily collection of fire ecology plot data, may provide input on project level monitoring plans, enters data into a centralized database.
• Collects and identifies grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees to species.
• Collects, organizes, manages, and ensures quality control of field data using standardized data collection procedures.
• Collects geospatial data, creates project maps, navigates to predetermined field points, and records field locations using a variety of GPS devices.
• Establishes monitoring plots in a variety of vegetation/fuel types in accordance with established guidelines.
• Measures a variety of ecological attributes in monitoring plots including vegetation structure, plant species composition, soil properties, and wildfire metrics (i.e., burn severity).
• Enters natural resource field data into a computer using customized software. Routinely performs data error checking, quality-control, and performs simple to complex statistical analyses.
• Composes summaries of collected field data and field activities in annual and other written reports. Communicates ecological information to a variety of audiences.
• May perform duties of prescribed fire operations, wildland fire assignments and/or additional projects if qualified and as needed.
• Establishes monitoring plots in a variety of vegetation/fuel types in accordance with established guidelines.
  
  

Additional Duties For The GS-07

• Leads employees in the collection, inventory, processing, and reporting of data for one or several parks' fire ecology programs.
• Implements and supervises remote field projects, including the use of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and boats.
• May monitor flame length and rate-of-spread by being in close proximity to wildland fires in order to prepare fire behavior monitoring documentation forms.
  
  

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

This Biological Science Technician (Fire Effects Monitor) position performs wildland firefighter collateral duties, and an Incident Qualification Card (Red Card) for an arduous duty position is required within one year of entry on duty.

• You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to collateral fire fighting duties. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• Collateral duties: You will be required to meet the National Interagency Incident Management System Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide (PMS 310-1) requirements for any arduous duty position.
• Collateral duties: You will be required to meet the Federal lnteragency Wildland Firefighter Medical Qualification Standards for arduous duty wildland firefighting.
• Collateral duties: You will be required to attain and maintain the prerequisite physical stamina and strength needed to perform rigorous duties and must pass the Work Capacity Test at the arduous level annually.
  
  

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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 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 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.
• Must be 18 years of age at time of close date of announcement.
• You may be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position may be subject to random testing for illegal drug use if arduous duties are assigned.
• You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service fire uniform standards.
• If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  
  

Qualifications

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.

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 with 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.

EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: For the GS-06: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05); Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Installation of fire vegetation monitoring plots; collection of vegetation, weather, or ecological field data; collection of wildland fuels data; observation and reporting of fire behavior.

For the GS-07 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-06); Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Reading vegetation and woody fuels monitoring plots by identifying trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants to species; Making and documenting field observations of fuel loading and plant species height, cover, and density; Collecting and reporting fire behavior and weather data relating to spread rate, flame length, fuel consumption, smoke dispersion, and other fire prescription elements.

OR

One full year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position such as plant sciences, ecology, botany, natural resource monitoring/management, agriculture, forestry, fire science, fisheries and/or wildlife ecology, fisheries and/or wildlife management, ichthyology, herpetology, entomology, ornithology, mammalogy, biostatistics or other directly related subject matter.

OR

Combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must submit a legible copy of your transcripts (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected).

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.

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 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.

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

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be solely on you ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

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 (i.e.: cold, hot, snow, wind) weather conditions.

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Field work 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.

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

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)

This announcement is open until 09/04/2024, but a selection may be made prior to that date.

For more information regarding this Standing Register Open Continuous announcement, and how this affects your consideration, please see the How You Will Be Evaluated Section.

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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.