Biological Science Technician (Aquatic Wildlife)

Summary Pacific West Region is recruiting summer seasonals at Yosemite National Park, California for Biological Science Technician (Aquatic Wildlife), 0404-4/5. The typical seasonal period for Yosemite National Park is April-October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Open to the first 250 applicants or until 12/16/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Learn more about this agency 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 will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. 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 work on evenings, weekends, overtime. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 16 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility. 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 All qualifications must be met by (11:59 PM (EST) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than the closing date of this announcement-12/16/2024-. 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. SELECTIVE FACTORS (Candidates who do not meet ALL requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for these positions): This position performs work identifying aquatic species, and accurately identifying reptile, amphibian, and/or fish species using keys or field guides in order to survey for or eradicate them is required. Experience must be reflected in resume or application materials, or you will no longer be considered for this position. This position performs work with the ability to backpack and camp and possessing the physical ability to engage in extended backpacking/camping for at least 4 consecutive days carrying up to 40 pounds of gear in mountainous terrain and traveling up to 10 miles per day is required. Experience must be reflected in resume or application materials, or you will no longer be considered for this position. This position performs work with the ability to swim, and strong swimming ability and comfort wading and swimming in lakes and swift moving rivers is required. Experience must be reflected in resume or application materials, or you will no longer be considered for this position. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least six months of general experience and six months of specialized experience. General experience is any type of work that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provides a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Biological Science Technician. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to assisting in aquatic wildlife censuses and surveys to document and assess information on aquatic wildlife populations (such as habitat use, animal presence, abundance, reproduction, and population dynamics); aquatic surveys to obtain basic information for management of fish, amphibians, turtles, macroinvertebrates, and aquatic ecosystems; and recording wildlife data into databases. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two years of study above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses in scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to the position. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, three months of general experience and 3 months specialized experience (50% of the experience), and one year of education above high school which includes 6 hours of scientific or technical courses and 3 semester hours of directly related coursework (50% of the education) would qualify an applicant for this position. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts and hours per week worked on your resume. 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: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Specialized experience for this position includes: conducting aquatic wildlife field surveys to document and assess animal presence, abundance, reproduction, and population dynamics; conducting biological aquatic surveys to obtain basic information for management of fish, amphibians, turtles, macroinvertebrates, and aquatic ecosystems; assisting researchers in aquatic wildlife surveys and monitoring activities; mapping aquatic wildlife locations using a Global Positioning Systems (GPS) unit; working with field crews to implement aquatic wildlife projects; and to assist in long-term monitoring projects by following established protocols to compile, store, analyze and report on wildlife data using a variety of computer programs. Your resume must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of four years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or 24 semester hours of course work in a related field of scientific or technical study, such as in biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to the position. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, six months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience) and three years of education above high school (50% of the education) would qualify an applicant for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study beyond the second year is equivalent to six months of specialized experience. You must submit transcripts and resume with hours per week worked. ICTAP/CTAP 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. 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 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 additional information regarding this position, please contact: Ninette Daniele, Wildlife Biologist [email protected] 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. Government housing may be available. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. 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. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. Read more Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits 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.