Open & closing dates: 06/30/2021 to 07/23/2021

Salary: $49,157 to $63,909 per year

Appointment type: Permanent – Federal

Work schedule: Full-time – Full-Time, Permanent

See full job and application details at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/606244500

Responsibilities

 

As Natural Resources Biologist, the incumbent has the responsibility of maintaining plant populations, tracking and maintaining database of ecology projects, and assists with training volunteers to carry out restoration activities. The major duties and responsibilities of this position include:

• Active in the control of invasive species, prescribed burns of forest and fields.
• Maintains key ecological parameters needed to preserve ecological integrity of Natural Areas and associate fields, forests, and riparian areas using the appropriate methods like herbicides/ pesticides use and application.
• Assisting with all coordination of research projects and activities in the Natural areas; application review, mapping locations of current and historical research projects, contacts prospective researchers and affected staff of activity, and insuring appropriate permits and qualifications are in place.
• Monitoring pertinent ecological literature related to land restoration and disseminate information to staff.

Conditions of Employment

  • Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
  • A year probationary period may be required
  • Ability to lift and carry materials weighing up to 100 pounds
  • Must receive immunization to guard against zoonotic diseases
  • Subject to regular medical screening

 

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date.
For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on the web at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

 

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

Must possess degree in biological sciences, agriculture, nature resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

or

A combination of education and experience that includes courses equivalent to a major biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry,  or related experience disciplines, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify for the grade levels specified.

Qualifications:

Experience: You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system. For this position specialized experience is defined as completing tasks related to land management or restoration; mitigating land activities or conditions that degrade the sustainability of the natural areas; maintaining ecological integrity of lands to include herbicide applications for invasive species control; burns of forest and fields or planting native plant species.

Or

Education: One full year of graduate education or Superior Academic Achievement meets the requirements for GS-7. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

Or

A Combination of Education and Experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the “Required Documents” section of this announcement.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week. 

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Required Documents

 

Your application package should include the following documents:

  • Resume – Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. If you want to receive full credit for relevant experience your resume MUST contain the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary.

    USAJOBS has guidance on how to ensure that you submit a complete resume: If you have not written a Federal resume before, you may watch this Resume Writing Tutorial video on the USAJOBS YouTube channel, or read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQ article on the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.

  • A copy of your most recent SF-50 which shows your position title, series, grade, step, salary, position occupied, and tenure to verify Time-in-Grade/competitive status. If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade and/or have promotion potential to the grade being advertised. Do NOT submit award SF-50s.
  • Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment.
  • Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.
  • A recent performance evaluation
  • Proof of Veteran’s Preference – DD214 (Member 4 Copy) if you are requesting a special appointment authority, such as VRA or VEOA
  • Proof of severe disability if you are requesting special placement consideration.
  • Proof of eligibility for a military spouse appointment, such as a permanent change station military order.
  • Proof of eligibility for any other special appointing authority not specifically mentioned here

How to Apply

Click on the “Apply Online” button on the upper right side of the page.
Please Note:

  • You must apply for this position online through the ‘Apply Online’ button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
  • You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process;
    OR
    You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.
  • The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
  • If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.