Interdisciplinary Social/Biological/Physical Scientist

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
  
  

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series listed below.

Basic Requirements

GS-0101: Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Combination of education and experience: that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field; OR Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

GS-0401: Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Combination of education and experience with courses equivalent to a major described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

GS-1301: Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics; OR Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

For the GS-07 grade level: Applicants must have one year (18 semester hours) of graduate-level education; OR superior academic achievement; OR one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level; OR a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience that together meets this requirement.

Specialized experience for the GS-07 grade level is defined as two or more of the following: applying data principals to the development of maps or other technical or visual materials and the manipulation of geospatial data; and/or creating simple thematic map products and presentation materials using established automated map and chart making processes; and/or applying basic geographic and cartographic principles to the resolution of simple issues in geospatial database construction and map compilation.

For the GS-09 grade level: Applicants must have two years (36 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level; OR a combination of graduate level education (in excess of 18 semester hours) and specialized experience that together meets this requirement.

Specialized experience for the GS-09 grade level is defined as two or more of the following: Under the guidance of a higher level specialist, participating in developing data dictionaries, data models, and metadata for multi-disciplinary information and geospatial applications; and/or participating with higher level specialists in the manipulation and analysis of geospatial data linking a variety of resources such as socio-economics, land, air, water, timber, recreation, wildlife, fisheries and/or special management areas; and/or applying basic geographic and cartographic principles to the resolution of more complicated issues in geospatial database construction and map compilation.

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

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

Additional information

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Additional duty stations may be added to this vacancy announcement. It is the responsibility of the applicant to periodically review this vacancy announcement for additional duty locations that may be added throughout the life of this announcement. Applicants must update their application to include all locations of interest. Applicants will not be considered for duty locations not included in your application.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.

This open and continuous announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at https://fsoutreach.gdcii.com/Outreach.

Positions may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. Positions may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. Final salary will be determined at the time of selection dependent on the duty location For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

Positions filled will be full-time; or full-time seasonal with either 13 pay periods of guaranteed pay status and 13 pay periods of nonpay time or 18 pay periods of guaranteed pay status and 8 pay periods of nonpay time.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Housing may be available.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

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• Help Help 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 windowLearn more about federal 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.