Biological Science Technician (Habitat) (Seasonal)

Summary

You will serve as a Biological Science Technician (Habitat) (Seasonal) working in either location below: 1. Commerce City, CO - Colorado Front Range National Wildlife Refuge Complex OR 2. Columbia, SD - Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge Open to the first 150 applicants. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the 09/23/2026 to be considered. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. Click here for OPM GS Salary Pay Table

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Assist in diverse plant and habitat studies using established research and survey methodologies. Identify and document native and invasive plant and animal species in the field. Collect biological samples with strict adherence to documentation, storage, transport, and reporting protocols utilizing a variety of databases and reporting systems. Enter and organize data using automated systems; conduct preliminary statistical analysis to support report development. Operate field equipment such as GPS units, cameras, binoculars, and rangefinders to collect and record survey data. Monitor environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) and assess their impact on plant health. Support land management activities including grazing oversight, water control structure monitoring, and ecological assessments. Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Commerce City CO - You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/23/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification. Minimum Qualification [GS-05] One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-04 in the Federal service. Experience includes Specialized experience may include:1) habitat surveys and conservation; 2) assistwith multifaceted plant studies; 3) assisting with the collection of seeds, propagation, handling, and caring for federallylisted plants or host plants of federally listed species; 4) assisting with native and invasive plant surveys and invasivespecies treatments; and 5) data collection and recording. OR Successfully completed 4 years above high school education leading to a bachelor's degree with major study orat least 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics,entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics etc. At least 6 semester hours of coursesmust have been directly related to the position to be filled. OR A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement 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

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, 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: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification How You Will Be Evaluated

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 any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. 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. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, 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. 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 the following 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 assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Knowledge of biological sciences. Ability to identify plant species. Knowledge of database systems. Skill in oral communication. Skill in using common hand tools and simple power equipment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.