(Seasonal) Biological Science Technician (Plants)
U.S. National Park Service
Summary
This announcement is for Biological Science Technician (Plants), GS-0404-07, to clear ICTAP/CTAP priority lists at Haleakala National Park. It is only open to current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the ICTAP/CTAP.
Overview
- Accepting applications
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Open & closing dates
05/07/2025 to 05/11/2025
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Salary
$24.99 - $32.49 per hour
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Pay scale & grade
GS 7
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Location
- Kula, HI 1 vacancy
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Remote job
No
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Telework eligible
No
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Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
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Appointment type
Temporary - Not to Exceed: 1039 Hours
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Work schedule
Full-time
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Service
Competitive
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Promotion potential
None
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Job family (Series)
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Supervisory status
No
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Security clearance
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Drug test
No
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Position sensitivity and risk
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Trust determination process
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Financial disclosure
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Bargaining unit status
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Announcement number
PW-1547-SR-25-12731883-DE
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Control number
836538200
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 6 months (1,039 hours) work in a service year. Open to CTAP/ICTAP only.
Videos
Duties
Major Duties:
- Restores native plant communities.
- Provide plant materials for restoration and rare species recovery.
- Controls weeds using herbicides and mechanical methods.
- Collect, understand and analyze ecological data to determine results of resource management actions. Using and analyzing GIS data using GPS and conducting plant surveys.
*Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Statement:
Additional COLA pay for Haleakala is 8.64%.*The salary annotated on this announcement does not include the cost-of-living allowance.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
- You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
- You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 10 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- 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.
Qualifications
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.
SELECTIVE FACTOR: To successfully accomplish invasive plant management work, you will be required to mix, load, and apply herbicides for the purpose of vegetation control. If you are unwilling to handle herbicides, you cannot successfully complete the work of these positions.
-AND-
To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications:
EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Participate 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. Set-up and manage environmental monitoring of equipment. Conduct field surveys and vegetation mapping in remote locations to document and assess plant presence, abundance, reproduction, management issues, and population dynamics using established protocols and use of standard scientific equipment (such as GPS). Manage and summarize vegetation data using computer software (such as Microsoft Access, Excel, Word, ArcGIS, Pathfinder Office, or comparable). Lead a field crew in vegetation management or control work. [Note: You must include hours worked per week for each position listed in your resume.]
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EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree with a major study in a directly related field such as biology, ecology, plant science, botany, or agriculture. [Note: If you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your school transcripts.]
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COMBINATION: Successful completion of combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a graduate degree and divide by 18 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. [You must include hours per week worked for each position listed in your resume and school 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.
CTAP/ICTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location.
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
For more information regarding these positions, please contact:
Haleakalā National Park
Jeffrey Mallinson, Biologist, Natural Resources Program Manager
Jeffrey_Mallinson@nps.gov
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.
Travel, transportation, & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.
Government Housing: Government housing may be available.
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.
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.
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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
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. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of two 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
- 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.
- Biology
- Botany
- Ecology
- Technical Competence
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on 05/11/2025:
- Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week.
- A complete Occupational Questionnaire
- Documentation that you meet Selective Factors
- College transcripts, if qualifying based on education
- Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
- If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
- If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 90 on the rating criteria for this position.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
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
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST 05/11/2025). WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
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Agency contact information
- samantha_pafko@nps.gov
- Address
- Haleakala National Park
PO Box 369
Makawao, HI 96768
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful.
If you can go back to the Application section of your USAJOBS account, your application status will say Received if the application went through. Please note, this process may take several hours to reflect this status. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are uploaded and legible.
If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Alternatively, you can always check the status of your application in your USAJOBS profile.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.