This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/786542000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
These positions are located in Indiana Dunes National Park, in the Resource Management Division. For more information about job duties or area information, contact: Laura_A_Brennan@nps.gov. Anticipated Entry on Duty: 5/15/24
Open to the first 75 applicants or until 04/24/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.
04/17/2024 to 04/24/2024
$21.17 - $21.17 per hour
GS 5
4 vacancies in the following location:
No
No
Not required
No
Temporary - NTE 1039 hours
Full-time -
Competitive
None
No
No
MW-1544-INDU-24-12385283-DE
786542000
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Open to all U.S. Citizens
The Biological Science Technician (Plants) position will work under the supervision of experienced staff as part of a dynamic team conducting ecological restoration fieldwork in one of Americas most botanically diverse national parks. To perform duties effectively, you will need a foundation in botanical sciences. Attention to details and ability to work outdoors as part of a team is important.
Fieldwork will be conducted in a variety of habitats including wetlands, prairie, open dune complex and/or black oak savanna. Field work will include chemical and mechanical treatment of invasive plants, seed collection, native plant installation, and field data collection.
Incumbent will use tools and operate equipment such as chainsaws, brush cutters/clearing saws, hand saws, loppers, pruners, backpack sprayers and apply herbicide to control target invasive plant species. Incumbent may be required to work from amphibious vehicles such as a Marshmaster, Landtamer, Argo, and/or operate an ATV or UTV. Incumbent will use GIS technology to document project work. Work will be adaptive with other tasks assigned as necessary to achieve the parks restoration goals.
Area Information
No housing available.
Indiana Dunes National Park is a 15,000-acre park located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, approximately 45 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois. The park is among the top 10 most visited National Park units annually. Small towns and resort communities on the beaches of Lake Michigan, and farms, interspersed with large tracts of woodlands and wetlands, surround the park. All services are available in the communities, to include schools, colleges, shopping, and other major amenities. The park hugs 15 miles of Lake Michigan's southern shoreline, and includes several historic districts, and over 50 miles of horse, bike and hiking trails over rugged dunes, mysterious wetlands, sunny prairies, meandering rivers, and peaceful forests! The park also surrounds the 2,000-acre Indiana Dunes State Park, and a large residential environmental education center. The Park is the birthplace of the science of ecology and has one of the most diverse plant communities in the National Park Service system. The park further supports several geographically dispersed units within the park. The area has weather typical of the Midwest with temperatures normally ranging from 0 degrees in the winter to 90 degrees in the summer. No government housing available, however, many reasonably priced houses and rental properties exist in the surrounding communities.
Physical Demands: Most duties will be conducted outdoors in weather ranging from humid and hot to cold and snowy. This position will require application of herbicides for vegetation control, strenuous manual labor (carrying up to 40 pounds over uneven terrain and in mucky substrate).
Working Conditions: The incumbent will be exposed to poisonous plants including the very poisonous wetland shrub Rhus vernix (poison sumac) and Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy), biting and stinging insects including ticks which may harbor Lyme disease, mosquitoes which may harbor West Nile Virus, tripping hazards. Incumbent will be required to treat uniform with Permethrin to reduce potential for tick-born illnesses. Wetland work may occur in water depths of up to three feet, and direct bodily contact with water and muck may be unavoidable.
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.
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.
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)
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. 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 will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/24/2024:
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.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/24/2024. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/786542000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission.
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