Duties
Rapid City is South Dakota's second largest city with approximately 66,000 residents and is the gateway to the Black Hills area of South Dakota. Rapid City offers entertainment opportunities at the Civic auditorium, superior health care facilities, beautiful neighborhoods, and endless outdoor recreational opportunities such a hiking, snow skiing, camping, and kayaking. Rapid City is a 90 minute drive away from four national park units (Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Jewel Cave national Monument, and Badlands National Park) and South Dakota's crown jewel state park- Custer State Park. Summer is warm, dry and sunny. July and August are the warmest months of the year, when daytime temperatures climb into the 70s and 80s--and sometime 90s. Breezy winds and low humidity levels help make the hot days comfortable. January and February are the coldest months of winter. Daytime temperatures average in the 30s, but Chinook winds can warm temperatures into the 50s and 60s. Average monthly snowfall ranges from five inches in Rapid City to 15 inches in the Black Hills.
The Scotts Bluff area is one that you must see to believe. As you travel across Nebraska from east to west you leave the flat farmland and come over a small rise and catch the first glimpse of the North Platte valley with its sedimentary bluffs towering up to 800 feet above the river. Anyone interested in hiking, biking, camping, or nature will find unforgettable experiences in the panhandle of Nebraska. Combine these recreational opportunities with small-town charm and friendly smiles you have a recipe for a memorable experience.
The Tri-Cities of Gering, Terrytown, and Scottsbluff provide historic theatres, top notch golf courses, Arts Center, Western Nebraska Community College, movie theaters, regional hospital, and amenities for living. Within a one to three-hour drive, major metropolitan areas such as Cheyenne, WY, Fort Collins, CO, Denver, CO, and Rapid City, SD give you a big city fix with shopping, entertainment, and fine dining. Did we mention the prairie sunsets? You must see them!
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located three miles west of Keystone, South Dakota, in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota. Housing for purchase or rent, schools, medical and dental facilities, churches of most faiths, and shopping are available in Rapid City, 25 miles northeast of Park Headquarters, and in nearby Hill City and Custer.
This position assists with the development of spatial and tabular natural resource datasets for 13 national park units within the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network. As part of the data management program, the incumbent will gain experience in the use of global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies, centralized natural resource databases, and development of natural resource worldwide web content. The majority of the duties are accomplished in the office setting, but field opportunities will be available assisting Network ecologists with monitoring plants, stream geomorphology, and prairie dogs.
Physical Demands: Work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment) 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 and terrain conditions, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, snakes, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
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 will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
- You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- 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-01/13/2025-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-06 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: assisting with project management of resource management projects; assisting in the development of resource management project reports, including literature research, descriptions of methods, summary of results; entering and modifying biological data in a computer database; performing a variety of behavioral or measured data collection activities (e.g., monitoring and managing tasks related to breeding species, etc.); or utilizing various techniques to gather biological samples (e.g., plants, animals, insects, fish, etc.). You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of 1 year of appropriate graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in biology or other field of study directly related to the work of this position for the required 1 year of specialized experience if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Combination of appropriate specialized experience (as described above) and appropriate graduate level education (as described above) that is beyond the first 1/2 year of progressive graduate study to meet the qualification requirements. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
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).
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.
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 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 01/13/2025. 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.
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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.