Job Description

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

This is a temporary appointment not to exceed 12 months that may be extended for 12 additional months without further competition.

Salary: $49,025 (Step 01) to $63,733 (Step 10);

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

As a Biological Science Technician (Plants) within the Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:

* Conducts field studies and surveys to collect biological data and/or specimens related to botany and plant taxonomy.

* Conducts a variety of data manipulation and analyses such as compiling and tabulating botanical data and other resource management information, including research and long-term monitoring projects.

* Compiles, analyzes and summarizes field and lab data for preparation of final reports and publications.

* Prepares and analyzes samples following a variety of procedures for biochemical analyses.

* Operates a government motor vehicle as an incidental driver.

Physical Demands:

The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring running, walking, or bending, walking or climbing ladders or scaffolds to observe, collect or record data.

Work Environment:

The work environment varies from laboratory setting to field sites and offices. The work involves moderate risks and discomforts such as high noise levels and exposure to chemicals, adverse weather conditions, and extreme temperatures that may require following special safety procedures.

Note: This position requires performing work in difficult terrain under extreme weather conditions and sometimes for long hours.

For the GS-07:

Applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service that is in or related to the duties of this position. Specialized experience may include work as a technician or aid in a research activity or control program work, nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment, or other related work if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience.

Examples of GS-06 level assignments include: 1) collecting vegetation samples and assisting in the identification & damage assessment of any problems they have caused; compiling and summarizing data from surveys, biological evaluations, and pilot tests; and/or running routine computer programs and checking resulting data for inconsistencies; 2) assembling basic information on ecosystem characteristics through field studies and associated analyses; 3) assuming responsibility for limited projects such as compiling data obtained through collecting a variety of vegetation data; 4) collecting vegetation materials and making preliminary assessments of such things as specifies composition and cover, quantity of biomass, and shrub densities.

For examples 1-4, a designated authority initially provided direction on the priorities and objectives for work assignments and assisted with any unusual situations that did not have clear precedents.

OR applicants may substitute successful completion of 1 year of appropriate graduate level education (18 semester hours, 27 quarter hours or the equivalent) in biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics 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.

OR applicants may substitute a 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.

Definitions:

EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)

EDUCATION: One year of full-time academic study is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained in an accredited business, technical school, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

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