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Duties
- Works closely with supervisors, volunteers, coworkers, and team leaders, on a daily basis, to ensure the safety of the team and maximize project success in the field.
- Work as part of a team, as well as independently, to treat invasive plant populations throughout the park using broadcast herbicide spraying techniques and manual removal.
- Ensure that herbicides are used in a safe manner, following label instructions, and that equipment is calibrated appropriately for the task at hand.
- Maps invasive species locations using Trimble devices.
- Routinely operates field radios, Trimble GPS devices, telemetry equipment, optics, and navigational equipment.
- Works as part of a team, as well as independently, to map prairie-dog populations in the park.
- Perform elk population surveys, in rugged back-country terrain, using GPS locations and telemetry equipment to find and record elk group locations and demographics.
- Records field data and collects biological and morphological samples/measurements for various projects, in addition to assisting in record-keeping and shipping samples to appropriate labs.
- Potential to assist with bison management and capture events in the park and works as part of an expansive team to ensure staff safety, animal welfare, and project success.
- This position is subject to drug testing based on the collateral duty requiring firearms in the back-country or other locations for non-law enforcement reasons such as protection from animals. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
- PLEASE NOTE: This position requires you to use firearms for lethal removal of animals requiring you to have access to firearms and ammunition to include safe handling, storing and use of firearms for wildlife management purposes while performing duties such as protection from dangerous animals, wildlife management and capture. You will be required to handle and use firearms as a regular part of this position. Prior extensive experience with firearms is desirable.
- You must be able to safely handle, store, and use firearms in the conduct of professional duties on federal lands. Utilize firearms for wildlife management purposes (e.g., lethal removal of free-ranging mammalian species) on federal lands or in a controlled environment. This position will have access to ammunition and be required to carry a non-LE enforcement firearm in the backcountry or other locations for reasons such as protection from dangerous animals. Under certain provision of the Federal Gun Act, any person who has been convicted of a qualifying crime of domestic violence or who is subject to a qualifying protection order is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the badlands of western North Dakota, and includes the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness Area. The park consists of three separate units: South Unit, Elkhorn Ranch Unit, and North Unit. The colorful Little Missouri River badlands provide a scenic backdrop to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is home to a variety of plants and abundant wildlife.
The headquarters office for the park is located in the South Unit in Medora, ND (population 100). This is a seasonal town with a variety of services available from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Complete services and a university are located in Dickinson (population 25,000), 35 miles to the east.
The North Unit is located 16 miles south of Watford City, ND (population 2,500), and is 70 miles by road from park headquarters. Limited medical facilities and shopping are located in Watford City. Complete services and a college are located in Williston, 60 miles northwest, and complete services and a university are located in Dickinson, 70 miles southeast.
Summers are warm and sunny with temperatures occasionally reaching above 100 degrees F. Afternoon thunderstorms are common. For more information about the park, go to www.nps.gov/thro
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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.
- Drug Testing: You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
- Incidental Driving: 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. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
- Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- Firearms: This position requires the incumbent to have access to firearms and ammunition and must use safe handling, storing and use of firearms for wildlife management purposes.
- Firearm Proficiency: Selectee(s) will be required to carry a firearm in the backcountry or other locations while performing duties for such reasons as protection from dangerous animals and must maintain firearm proficiency.
- Security Investigation: Selectee(s) must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Under certain provision of the Federal Gun Act, any person who has been convicted of a qualifying crime or domestic violence or who is subject to a qualifying protection order is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
- Government Housing: Housing may be available.
- You may be required to work evening, weekends, holiday and/or overtime.
- Minimum Age Requirement: Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/13/2025-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: Have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is that experience which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position Examples of qualifying specialized experience include conducting biological field studies and surveys and assembling the information. Follow standardized procedures to collect data on Wildlife, Fisheries, or plants. Use statistical methods and procedures to perform testing of field data collected. Installs, operates, and maintains resource management equipment (tools, sampling and monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment) prepares graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications relating to biological management activities. You must also be able to safely handle firearms. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Have successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at 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. At least six (6) semester hours are directly related to the position such as botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, as wildlife biology, zoology, ornithology etc.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your course work and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit. You must submit a copy of your transcripts that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific course work information as described previously, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected).. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION: Have a combination of specialized experience as described above and education as described above which total 100 percent. Only education beyond the 60 semester hours above high school is considered qualifying when combined with specialized experience. Thirty semester hours beyond the first 60 is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. For example, 6 month of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience requirement) and 90 semester hours with at least 12 semester hours related to the position and three (3) hours directly related to the position (50 % of the education requirement) would be considered qualifying. 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.
I/CTAP: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: USAJOBS Help Center | Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
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., packs and equipment 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.
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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.
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
- Research
- Technology Application
