Duties
Major Duties vary for each park. Major Duties may include but are not limited to the following:
GS-05:
- Establish and maintain vegetation restoration projects including planting and caring for native trees, shrubs, and grasses.
- Identify native and invasive plant species and support vegetation monitoring and measurements.
- Foot travel to locations to use equipment; collect clear and accurate notes and data; and to work as a team member.
- Make field observations of natural resource conditions.
- Manage invasive and exotic plant species using chemical, manual, and biological control techniques.
- Collect and manage field data using GPS units, tablets, digital camera, paper, and other technology, maintaining accurate records.
- Mix, load, and apply herbicide per label instruction using various application equipment that may or may not include ATV, UTV, handheld, backpack sprayers, etc. ATV and/or UTV operators must have the ability to safely operate through multiple terrain types.
- Assist in the preparation of reports, plans and guidelines.
- Provide logistical support and area orientation for contract or cooperating scientists.
- Install, operate, and maintain resource management equipment (e.g., tools, sampling, monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment).
GS-06 - includes the duties above plus:
- Providing support for planning and logistics.
- Support planning and program implementation.
GS-07 - includes the duties above plus:
- Provide leadership and guidance to team members during field operations and data collection.
- Train others in plant identification and data collection.
- Train others in equipment use.
DUTY LOCATIONS:
APIS - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Bayfield, WI -- Government housing may be available
BADL - Badlands National Park - Interior, SD -- Government housing may be available
CUVA - Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Peninsula, OH -- Government housing may be available
IPMT_GL - Invasive Plant Management Teams, Great Lakes - St. Croix, WI -- Government housing is NOT available
HOSP - Hot Springs National Park - Hot Springs, AR -- Government housing is NOT available
INDU - Indiana Dunes National Park - Porter, IN -- Government housing may be available
JECA - Jewel Cave National Monument - Custer, SD -- Government housing may be available
KNRI - Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site - Stanton, ND -- Government housing is NOT available
NGPN - Northern Great Plains Network - Rapid City, SD -- Government housing is NOT available
SLBE - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Empire, MI -- Government housing may be available
WICA - Wind Cave National Park - Hot Springs, SD -- Government housing may be available
SALARY:
(RUS payscale) Rest of US
GS-05: $19.52 - $25.37
GS-06: $21.76 - $28.29
GS-07: $24.18 - $31.43
(CLE payscale) - CUVA
GS-05: $20.38 - $26.50
GS-06: $22.72 - $29.53
GS-07: $25.25 - $32.82
(MSP payscale) - IPMT
GS-05: $21.28 - $27.66
GS-06: $23.72 - $30.84
GS-07: $26.36 - $34.27
(CHI payscale) - INDU
GS-05: $21.82 - $28.37
GS-06: $24.32 - $31.62
GS-07: $27.03 - $35.14
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.
- Driver's License: 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.
- UNIFORM [APIS, BADL, CUVA, HOSP, INDU, JECA, KNRI, SLBE] - You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- TRAVEL [APIS, BADL, IPMT, KNRI, NGPN, SLBE] - You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: 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.
- Bargaining Unit Park: CUVA - Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Peninsula, OH.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/27/2026-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-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the federal service. Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience includes applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, and chemical methods to manage forest health threats; performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys; and participating in vegetation management through seed collection, planting, propagating, and weeding. You must include start/end dates and hours worked per week. -OR-
EDUCATION: 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, mathematics. NOTE: At least six semester hours of the education must have been in courses directly related to the position such as: Agronomy, Crop Science, Botany, Silviculture, Horticulture, etc. If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. -OR-
COMBINATION: A combination of education and specialized experience as described above that when combined equal 100% of the minimum requirements. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. For example, six (6) months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience requirement), and three years of college study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education), which includes at least 12 semester hours of related coursework as specified above and 3 hours directly related to the position such as: Agronomy, Crop Science, Botany, Silviculture, Horticulture, etc. (50% of the related coursework required). NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.
To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service. Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience includes organizing program data and information; applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, and chemical methods to manage forest health threats; performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys; and participating in vegetation management through seed collection, planting, propagating, and weeding. You must include start/end dates and hours worked per week. -OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level study at an accredited college or university that directly applies to the position such as Agronomy, Crop Science, Botany, Silviculture, Horticulture, etc. NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. -OR-
COMBINATION: A combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above that when combined equal 100% of the minimum requirements. For example, six (6) months specialized experience 50%, and nine (9) semesters of graduate education directly related or 50% and when combined equal 100%. To combine education and experience, first take the amount of completed graduate level education and convert it to a percentage of the full requirement. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide it by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.
To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience for this position includes serving as a project lead to implement ecological resource surveys and management; organizing program data and information; applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, and chemical methods to manage forest health threats; performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys; and participating in vegetation management through seed collection, planting, propagating, and weeding. You mut include start/end dates and hours worked per week. -OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level study at an accredited college or university that directly applies to the position such as Agronomy, Crop Science, Botany, Silviculture, Horticulture, etc. NOTE: If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. -OR-
COMBINATION: A combination of specialized experience and graduate education that when combined equal 100% of the minimum requirements. For example, six (6) months specialized experience 50%, and nine (9) semesters of graduate education directly related or 50% and when combined equal 100%. To combine education and experience, first take the amount of completed graduate level education and convert it to a percentage of the full requirement. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide it by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.
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.
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.
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.
Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., equipment and packs up to 50 pounds) 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 conditions and terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals.
TELEWORK [IPMT] - The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
TELEWORK [APIS, BADL, CUVA, HOSP, INDU, JECA, KNRI, NGPN, SLBE, WICA] - The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.
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
- Teamwork
- Technical Competence
- Technical Documentation
- Leadership (Only rated for GS-06 and 07)
- Project Management (Only rated for GS-07)
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.