Duties
The incumbent serves as a member of an invasive plant management team based at Badlands National Park. Specific work assignments include: 1) assist in the management of exotic plants using chemical, mechanical, and biological techniques, 2) assist in the collection and management of data and records such as, GPS data and herbicide application, 3) assist in the establishment and maintenance of vegetation restoration projects. Restoration projects include planting and caring for native trees, shrubs and grasses. The employee will be required to mix, load, and apply herbicides with ATV, UTV and backpack sprayers. Assist in the maintenance of equipment and data collected in the field. The use of standard pesticide application methods and standard safety equipment will be required. Operation of on- and off- road vehicles is a job requirement. Training for many activities may be acquired on-the-job. The ATV Rider Course, First Aide/CPR Classes and South Dakota Commercial Pesticide Applicator License will be given when employee arrives. The required examination for the license may be taken on work time and employee must pass the exam within 30 days of his or her start date. This is a summer seasonal position expected to last from mid-May through mid-September. Normal work shifts will be Monday- Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with some weekend, evening work and travel is required. Work involves walking, climbing, and hiking while carrying a 3-gallon backpack sprayer through rough terrain, sometimes for extended periods of time. Lifting moderately heavy items, bending and stooping for long periods, and working under occasionally inclement (cold, hot, rain, wind) weather. Work will be performed under the direction of a crew leader. The employee will participate in daily tasks and will report activities to the field crew leader. Employee will be stationed at Badlands National Park and travel to other National Parks to assist in weed management. Transportation, lodging, and per diem will be provided while in travel status.
GS-0404-02: Under the guidance of higher-level employees assists with the collection of biological science field data. Performs routine and repetitive field tasks (e.g. revegetation projects, seed collection, stream surveys, rehabilitation and replanting of trail sides, repair and removal of fence, etc. associated with the management, protection, restoration and Improvement of park resources. Following accepted procedures, performs routine and repetitious field and laboratory operations such as sorting and preservation of specimens. Performs data entry and record keeping, prepares simple summary reports, and assists with the efficient operation of the office. Assists higher-level employees with the installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment used for sampling, monitoring, trapping, etc. and assists with the repair and maintenance of resource management support facilities. Assists higher-level employees with different preparation, set-up and delivery of formal or informal programs related to natural resource management. Preparatory work and subsequent public contact is structured and supervised, with unusual or difficult questions referred to the supervisor.
GS-0404-03: Assists higher-level employees with the collection and organization of biological science field data. Performs field tasks (e.g. trapping of small animals, collection of seed, propagation of native plants, controlling of invasive plants, rehabilitation and replanting of trail sides, repair and removal of fence, etc. associated with the management, protection, restoration, and improvement of park resources. Following accepted procedures performs routine laboratory operations such as preparation, sorting, and preservation of collected specimens May perform specialized operation such as identification of plant and animal specimens using keys and applying experimental treatments under controlled conditions. Assists higher-level employees with the installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment used for sampling, monitoring, trapping, etc. and assists with the repair and maintenance of resource management support facilities. Assists higher-level employees with the development, preparation, set-up and delivery of formal or informal programs related to natural resource management. Preparatory work and subsequent public contact is structured and supervised, with unusual difficult questions referred to the supervisor. Utilizes a variety of computer programs to maintain field data records, perform data entry, and prepare simple summary reports. Establishes, updates and maintains a variety of office records and assist with the efficient operation of the office.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
- Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Incidental Driving: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.
- Government Housing: May be available. Please contact park.
- Travel: You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 14 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 the closing date of this announcement-01/10/2025-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-02 grade level, you must possess at least one or all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: Have three (3) months of general experience. General Experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation; Examples of qualifying experience include work in a greenhouse or other controlled environment, assisting with plant surveys; assisting in site restoration work; routine and repetitive field work or lab operations such as sorting and preservation of collected specimens. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Have successfully completed high school education or equivalent in an accredited educational institution. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must submit a copy of your transcripts that identifies the name of the high school and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific coursework information as described, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected). You must include transcripts.
To qualify for this position at the GS-03 grade level, you must possess at least one or all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: Have six (6) months of general experience. General Experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation; Examples of qualifying experience include work in a greenhouse or other controlled environment, assisting with plant surveys; assisting in site restoration work; removing non-native plant species; assisting with identifying and monitoring plant species; etc. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Have successfully completed one (1) year of education above high school in an accredited educational institution (30 semester hour or 45 quarter hours) which included at least six (6) semester hours of scientific or technical courses, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture or mathematics. IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must submit a copy of your transcripts 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 coursework information as described, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION: have a combination of general experience as described above and education as described above which total 100 percent. For example, I have 3 months of experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 1/2 year of education as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify), which included at least 3 semester hours of scientific or technical courses, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. You must include transcripts. You must include hours per week worked.
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.
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ICTAP/CTAP Clearance- 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. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).
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.
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
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:
- Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
- Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
- Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
- Biology
- Research
- Technology Application
How to Apply
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 01/10/2025. 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.
- Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
- Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Apply."
- Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
- Select documents you want included in this application.
- Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
- Select if you want to include your demographic information.
- After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
- Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
- Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
- Review and Submit Application.
- While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
- You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Next steps
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.