Biological Science Technician (Aquatic Ecosystems)

Summary Pacific West Region is recruiting for summer seasonals for Biological Science Technician (Aquatic Ecosystems) GS 0404-05/6. The typical seasonal period for Sierra Nevada Network positions is April-October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Open to the first 125 applicants or until 12/13/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Learn more about this agency 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to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle.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. You may be required to work overtime. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 18 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. 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 11:59 PM (EST) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than the closing date of this announcement-12/13/2024-. 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. SELECTIVE FACTOR: This position requires regular and recurring work and camping in rugged mountainous backcountry above 7,000 ft elevation for extended periods of time. Selectee(s) must be able to hike by foot in the backcountry at high altitude for extended periods of time while carrying backpacks, tools and supplies of at least 50 lbs., and be able to camp for several days at a time. Such wilderness travel skills require extensive experience to develop. Given the short duration of the summer season and immediacy of need, such skills cannot be acquired on-the-job in a reasonable amount of time. Indicate your experience in performing this type of work. You will be required to provide detailed descriptions of this experience during the application process. - AND - To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Successful completion of at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to conducting biological aquatic surveys on fish, amphibians, macroinvertebrates, and aquatic ecosystems; conducting resource monitoring programs for evaluating rare, threatened and endangered aquatic species; and assisting in measurements of physical attributes of lakes and streams including water chemistry and temperature. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as wildlife management, ecology, zoology, biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. This MUST include at least 6 semester hours, or 9 quarter hours of courses directly related to the position. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. Determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. Transcripts must be included, and the resume must include hours per week worked. To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Successful completion of one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in Federal Service. This specialized experience must equip selectees with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the GS-06. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, conducting surveillance to help detect invasion and colonization of non-native fish species, and the control of those species; operating a variety of field equipment commonly used in fish studies, including fish sampling gear, trawls, nets and electrofishing equipment; conducting biological aquatic surveys on fish, amphibians, macro invertebrates and aquatic ecosystems; conducting resource monitoring programs for evaluating rare, threatened and endangered aquatic species, and assisting in measurements of physical attributes of lakes and streams including water chemistry and temperature. You must include hours per week worked in your resume. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level education leading towards a master's degree with a major study in any combination of scientific or technical courses directly related to this position such as biology, chemistry, wildlife management, ecology, herpetology, ichthyology, and/or fisheries courses. You must submit a copy of your transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of experience and directly related graduate education. Experience and education should be computed as a percentage of the overall requirements and must equal 100 percent when combined. You must submit a copy of your transcripts and hours per week worked in your resume. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: 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. 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 For more information on this position, please contact: Andi Heard, Sierra Nevada Inventory & Monitoring Network Program Manager [email protected] 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. 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. Government Housing maybe available. 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. Read more 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. Opens in a new window 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.