Fire Effects Monitor (Biological Science Technician) Job

Vacancy No. NPS-FIRE-2025-037-DHA Department National Park Service
Salary $17.35 to $18.96 Grade 4 to 5
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/12/2024 Close Date 12/3/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Grand Canyon, AZNorth Rim, AZYellowstone National Park, WY


Summary

This is a Public Notice for positions being filled under the Direct Hiring Authority (DHA) for Wildland Fire. Under this recruitment procedure applications will be accepted for each location identified in this Public Notice. Veterans' Preference is not applicable to this announcement. To learn more about Direct-Hire Authority, go to: OPM.GOV Hiring Information - DHA.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all qualified U.S. Citizens. This is a public notice under the Direct Hiring Authority.

Duties

The National Park Service (NPS) is looking for temporary employees to work as a Fire Effects Monitor (Biological Science Technician). For more information on Types of Crews, click here.

A Fire Effects Monitor (GS-04 Biological Science Technician) follows instructions and standardized procedures to collect and organize field data (e.g. vegetation, fuel and GIS). Ensures adequate quality control of data collected and performs routine and recurring testing of collected samples. Makes field observations of natural resource conditions. Provides results to higher-level specialists for analysis. Provides logistical support and area orientation for contract or cooperating scientists. Installs, operates, maintains, inventories, and calibrates resource management equipment. Orders replacement parts, new equipment, and supplies. Utilizes a variety of computer programs to compile, reduce, store, retrieve, and report data and other resource management information, including natural science research and long-term monitoring projects. Prepares a wide variety of recurring correspondence, internal reports, and other documents from information obtained from office staff, files and other sources and reviews and finalizes documents prepared by others.

A Fire Effects Monitor (GS-05 Biological Science Technician) establishes monitoring plots in a variety of vegetation/fuel types in accordance with established guidelines and directions. Monitors plots and makes field observation of resource conditions. May prepare fire behavior monitoring documentation on forms for prescribed burns. Identifies grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees to species (by knowledge or using a dichotomous key). Catalogs, labels and stores plant materials collected during the season. Prepares field maps and photographs from the ground (read topographic maps and locate predetermined points with GPS). Enters natural resource field data into a personal computer (or handheld electronic devices using customized software). May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4s.

Locations for these positions are:
Grand Canyon, AZ (Grand Canyon NP)
North Rim, AZ (Grand Canyon NP)
Yellowstone NP, WY (Yellowstone NP)

For contact information and housing availability, visit Fire Contacts on the DOI FIRES website. To view a list of contacts by agency, select the state you are interested in.

For more information about temporary fire positions with DOI, go to the following link: https://www.firejobs.doi.gov/.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. To register or verify your registration, go to the Selective Service System website.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS: Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Failure to satisfy the background check will result in cancellation of offer of employment or may be grounds for termination.

Positions may require a valid state driver's license.

You must be 18 years of age or older at the time of appointment.

You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service fire uniform standards.

Qualifications

Hours worked per week must be stated for each season and position held in your resume.

***Experience listed will need to include specific duties about the work being performed and should not be only the general language stated below in the examples.

To qualify for a GS-04
You must meet at least one of the following:
1). Six months of general work experience, which can be any work experience AND 6 months of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-03 level duties.
Examples of specialized work experience may include the following:
Recorded, updated, and maintained collected data; assisted with the collection of vegetation monitoring data; utilized a variety of computer programs to maintain field data entry, and prepare simple summary reports. Your resume must reflect how you have this experience.
-OR-
2). Two years of education above the high school level which included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to the position to be filled.
-OR-
3). A combination of the education and work experience described above.

To qualify for a GS-05
You must meet at least one of the following:
1). One year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-04 level duties.
Examples of specialized experience may include the following:
Collected vegetation, weather, or ecological field data in support of monitoring or research programs; assisted in establishing vegetation and/or fuel loading measurement plots; collected data to assess burn severity or fire effects after prescribed or wildland fire; input and retrieved vegetation data using computers and global positioning systems (GPS). Your resume must reflect how you have this experience.
-OR-
2). 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 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The level of the course work must have been equivalent to at least the junior- or senior-year levels of a baccalaureate program. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work - transcripts must be attached to receive credit for education.
OR
3). A combination of the education and work experience described above.

For more information regarding basic qualifications and combining education and experience click here.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: In addition to working in an office/laboratory setting, the work involves walking, running, climbing, and backpacking with a load over rough terrain, sometimes for extended periods; lifting moderately heavy items; bending and stooping for long periods; and working under occasionally inclement (i.e., cold, hot, snow, wind) weather conditions.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Fieldwork includes exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, biting insects, wild animals, high pollen levels, dermatitis causing plants, and poisonous snakes. Incumbent may be required to fly in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft and may be required to work in actual fire situations, which can be hazardous.

Education

Proof of 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.

Foreign Education:
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.

Pay rates vary depending on location. For additional information on pay rates: Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: 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 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

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)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP/ICTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. For more information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

Temporary employees hired in wildland fire or wildland fire support positions are eligible for the following:
-Annual, sick leave, and paid federal holidays
-Depending on tour of duty - Sunday, holiday, shift differential and/or hazard pay
-Participation in the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) program - Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.

Because this vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion.

Required Documents

You MUST upload "Required Documents" PRIOR to the Closing Date.

**Please note that documents selected to transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer the document(s) in the Document step at the end of the application process.

Resume MUST include your name and a list of each season and position held, duties performed, dates specified in month/year to month/year format. In addition, the resume must reflect full-time or total number of hours worked per week. Part-time hours can be pro-rated based on number of hours worked per week provided. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

  • Example 1: 05/2018 to 08/2018 could be credited as 3 months if 40 hours worked per week (full-time) are listed -or- 2.25 months if 30 hours worked per week are listed -or-1.5 months if 20 hours worked per week are listed.
  • Example 2: 05/2015 to 10/2015 could be credited as 5 months of experience if 40 hours worked per week (full-time) are listed -or- 3.75 months if 30 hours worked per week are listed -or- 2.5 months if 20 hours worked per week are listed.
  • Example 3: Dates listed with month/day/year to month/day/year could be given credit for each to/from date in its entirety if hours worked per week are listed. 05/1/2018 to 08/16/2018 could be credited as 3 months, 16 days if 40 hours worked per week are listed -or- 1 month, 23 days if 20 hours worked per week are listed.
In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on what should I include in my federal resume: https://www.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/.

A complete Assessment Questionnaire: This is completed automatically during the online application process. The questions have to do with minimum qualifications, selective factors if applicable, a verification statement, etc. There is no additional document needed to complete this requirement.

Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:

College transcripts - if qualifying based on education. For more information, see the Education section.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP you MUST submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

* You only need to upload documents that apply to you. For uploading instructions please click here.

You will not be contacted for additional information. If you have questions regarding what is considered appropriate supporting documentation, contact the DOI FIRES Program Office.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

How to Apply

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time by the closing date of the announcement. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the DOI FIRES Program Office at blm_fa_fires@blm.gov or call our toll-free number at 888-364-6432.

1. Review the Vacancy Announcement and Eligibility Criteria: Review the announcement thoroughly. The sections describe who is eligible to apply, what education and/or experience is required for the position, and which documents are needed for your application package.

2. Apply. Click the "APPLY" link on the right side of the vacancy announcement. This will direct you to the login page for USAJOBS. Select your USAJOBS resume to submit with your application and proceed through the application process answering all questions.

INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.

You must build a resume with the USAJOBS Resume Builder or have an Uploaded Resume on your profile BEFORE applying. Videos showing how to apply for federal jobs can be found here: https://www.nifc.gov/careers/how-to-apply. The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. Failure to follow these instructions in the announcement (resulting in insufficient information being provided with your resume / application) could result in an ineligible rating.

Your Resume MUST include the following information:
-From and To dates (month/year to month/year) for each season and position held. (Ex: 05/2018 - 11/2018)
-Work schedule (number of hours worked per week) for all seasons and positions held. One year of experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week (full-time). Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for a position listed that does not indicate hours per week.
- Grade level for each season and position that were in the federal service.
- Complete Duties for each of the seasons and positions held.
- References personal and professional

3. Submit your resume and supporting documentation ONLINE through USAJOBS. You also must complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.

For detailed step-by-step instructions on How to Apply: https://www.firejobs.doi.gov/index.php/apply.

To verify the status of your application, please log into your USAJOBS account at: https://secure.login.gov/.

For information on what each Application Status means: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. NOTE: Technical issues may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

DOI FIRES Program Office
Address
National Park Service
call toll free number for address information
Boise, ID 83705
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you submit all the required documents and the online application (i.e., online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation, etc.) in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.

After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified via USAJOBs of a status change (i.e., referred, not eligible, not qualified, referred to the hiring official, etc.). Note, you must login to your USAJOBS profile to view details of the status change. Information regarding how to see your application status can be found in the USAJOBS Help Center.

If referred and further evaluation or interviews are required, you may be contacted by the hiring officials for the location in which you are referred.

You will receive a final notification if this job is filled or cancelled. Timelines for this process vary widely.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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