Biological Science Technician (Plants)(Seasonal)

Summary

Biological Science Technicians perform field and technical work to monitor, manage, and protect natural resources, including plants, wildlife, aquatic resources, and their habitats. Likely Entry on Duty: March - May 2027. Open to the first 150 applicants.

Duties

These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can be vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Defined Season Per Park: March - October: Klamath Network April - October: Olympic National Park, Sierra Nevada Netework, Yosemite National Park May - October: Lassen Volcanic National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks May - November: North Cascades National Park Some of the Biological Science Technician (Plants) Standard Duties include but are not limited to: Manages invasive plant populations and restores disturbed sites using best available methods in accordance with established policy and standards, applying experimental methods when needed. Collects, cleans, and stores native plant materials for subsequent propagation, seeding, and transplanting; manages and inventories materials and plants in a nursery; outplants and provides post-planting care. Produces containerized plants from seed collections and cuttings; maintains these and other plant materials received from government cooperators and private growers in good condition. Develops annual nursery and plant propagation work plans based on restoration priorities, species lists, and quantities established by supervisor. Manage and analyze data using spreadsheet, database, statistical, and GIS software. Develops seasonal and weekly work plans for vegetation staff and partners in coordination with supervisor; independently sets daily schedules and trains staff in work protocols. Collects field data to monitor all vegetation management actions; updates and improves protocols as needed; completes required reporting for all vegetation management actions. Conduct vegetation sampling in remote wilderness settings. Additional duties for GS9: Executes complex invasive plant management operations, providing technical leadership in the identification, monitoring, mapping, and implementation of treatments for invasive species; ensures adherence to established protocols and safety standards and evaluates treatment effectiveness to inform adaptive management strategies. Develops successful field and greenhouse propagation techniques for native species through review of scientific literature, discussions with subject matter experts in plants and restoration ecology, and experimentation for a limited number of species as needed. Develops outyear work plans and completes analytical reporting on vegetation management tasks; develops novel protocols for vegetation management; coordinates with partners to develop and improve resource management strategies. Following established procedures and within a defined scope, conduct scientifically credible forest plot data collection. Plans and executes multi-day backcountry field data collection trips into the backcountry. Leads field crews on backcountry field data collection trips, prioritizing safety and scientific validity of data collection efforts; making independent decisions in the field that align with safety and project goals. Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Occupancy of government quarters may be required. Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed. Use find a park to contact specific parks for more information on government housing. You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Pre-employment and random drug testing may be required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work. You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license will be required in such cases. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles. You may be required to possess a Class A or B Commercial Driver's License. You may be required to handle/apply pesticide and/or herbicide. You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority. You 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-10/26/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 2 page 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. 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. To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level, you must possess one of the following: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the federal service (obtained in either the public or private sector). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience may include: Performing nursery work involving the growing and maintenance of native plants in a controlled environment; participating in site rehabilitation through soil preparation, native seed collection, broadcast or drill seeding, native plant salvage, and/or planting of native plants for upland and/or wetland restoration; conducting field surveys and vegetation mapping, including identification to sub-species of native vegetation, using established protocols; assisting with invasive plant management through identification, monitoring, and control of invasive species; and serving as a crew member on revegetation and vegetation management work. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess one of the following: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-8 level in the federal service (obtained in either the public or private sector). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience may include: Producing containerized plants from seed collections and cuttings; leading site rehabilitation efforts through soil preparation, native seed collection, broadcast or drill seeding, native plant salvage, and/or planting of native plants for upland and/or wetland restoration; leading field surveys and vegetation mapping in remote locations to document and assess plant presence, abundance, reproduction, management issues, and population dynamics using established protocols; managing and summarizing vegetation data using computer software (such as Microsoft Access, Excel, Word, ArcGIS, Pathfinder Office, or comparable); leading an invasive plant management crew, including planning and executing invasive plant control methods; leading a vegetation research or monitoring project, including quality control/assessment, data summary, and reporting; and training other staff in vegetation management and restoration techniques. -OR- B. Successfully completed at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as botany, horticulture, ecology, restoration ecology, fire ecology, rangeland ecology, or other directly related subject matter. -OR- C. Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined. For example, six (6) months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement) combined with one year of education as outlined above (50% of the education above), along with 50% of the course-specific education stated above. NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards. 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 the interpretation of foreign education programs and that (1) deemed your education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program, or (2) given full credit for courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. GS-08: There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement. How You Will Be Evaluated

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. 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. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veterans' 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: Botany Horticulture Leadership Technical Competence Technology Application 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. To meet the definition of well-qualified, you must (1) score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire; (2) meet the minimum qualification requirements (education, experience or a combination therein), including any selective placement factors; and (3) be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry with reasonable accommodation, when applicable. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. 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

These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can be vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. 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 salary range on this vacancy does not grant an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Some positions filled may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay. 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 1039 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 combined total of 1039 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1039 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 1039 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1039 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. This position may be filled under a temporary seasonal appointment not-to-exceed 1560 hours rather than 1039 hours depending on the park and program 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., packs and equipment up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis. WORK ENVIRONMENT: 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. Backcountry travel will include approximately 10-21 days per month. Work will include multi day backcountry travel, mountainous terrain, and stream crossing. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.