Seasonal Biological Science Technician

Summary These positions are located in Cape Lookout National Seashore, in the Resource Management Division. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Cape Lookout National Seashore is March-October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: March 2026. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 12/23/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Duties Monitoring ground nesting birds and chicks (i.e. piping and Wilson's plovers, American oystercatchers, and colonial waterbird). Document sea turtle nests and crawls. Establish, modify and remove bird and turtle closures. Conduct surveys for seabeach amaranth. Identify and report signs of mammalian predators in breeding habitat. Use mobile devices or Garmin GPS units to collect field data (for birds and turtles) for use in geo processing. Operate off-road vehicles in sandy environment. Assist with drafting of education information for public release. Area Information: Cape Lookout National Seashore preserves 56 miles of North Carolina's Outer Banks which includes a lighthouse, wild horses, and two historic villages. Most of the park is located on four barrier islands accessible only by boat. Park offices, with beautiful waterfront views of Core sound, are located on Harkers Island which is connected to the mainland by roads and bridges. Harkers Island and other nearby small surrounding communities have a variety of residences for rent or sale where basic services and elementary schools are available. The historic town of Beaufort (population of 4,464 census 2021) and Morehead City (population of 9,535 census 2021) have all the necessary conveniences including a hospital, high schools, and a community college. North Carolina's Crystal Coast is a popular tourist destination location offering a wide variety of year-round recreational opportunities including fishing, boating, swimming, and golfing. It is an area of fantastic sunrises and sunsets, friendly people, commercial fishing, and fresh seafood. The climate is temperate with warm summers with an average air temperature of 80 degrees and mild winters with an average air temperature of 45 degrees. For more information, contact: www.nps.gov/calo, www.nc.gov, www.sunnync.com, and www.visitnc.com 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 complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. Government housing might be available. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/23/2025-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 at the GS-0404-05 grade level, 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 equivalent to at least the GS-0404-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience includes: Research activity or control program work, nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment, 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. Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of 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 six semester hours must have been directly related to the position being filled. (You Must submit a copy of your transcripts or course list see note below). IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your course work and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit. You must submit a copy of your transcripts, or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific course work information as described, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration.College transcripts must be provided. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with one year of education as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify) totaling 100%. (You Must submit a copy of your transcripts or course list, see not above). College transcripts must be provided. 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. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. 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 windowLearn 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.