Job Summary

This position supports the Pacific Northwest Research Station. There are three positions available; one in Portland, OR; one in Nevada City, CA; and one in Fresno, CA. Performs a variety of complex and recurring duties for Quality Assurance in support of Forest Service research activities specifically data acquisition for Forest Inventory and Analysis. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Jessica Deans at Jessica.m.deans@usda.gov or phone 503-539-3993

Major Duties

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 Qualifications Standards website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/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 all university course descriptions as necessary. Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement as defined below. For more information on the qualifications for this position, go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/general-natural-resources-management-and-biological-sciences-series-0401/

Basic

Education Requirement for Biological Science Series (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 that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below. For the GS-07:

You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as all of the following: Experience working as a member of a data collection field crew, experience collecting forest inventory or forest ecology in a field based or urban setting, assisting with interpreting standard procedures and ensuring that forest data is in compliance with established protocol.

OR

One full year of graduate level education. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work in fields such as forestry, urban forestry, forest ecology, botany, biology, ecology.

OR

An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience described above. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement: Go to this site to determine if you are eligible: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp.The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. For the GS-9:

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as having Three out of four of the following. Utilizing field observations, aerial imagery, and historical site information to assign forest attributes related to forest treatments and disturbances, interpreting standard procedures and ensuring that collected forest data is in compliance with established protocol, assisting with training forest inventory personnel to follow established guidelines in order to obtain multi-resource information, using botanical keys, plant association guides, and other technical guides to classify ecological habitats, hydrological regimes, forest productivity, and land use.

OR

A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work in fields such as forestry, forest ecology, botany, biology, ecology.

OR

An appropriate combination of specialized experience and education and education described above. Only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify for this grade level. Your education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 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. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. WORK CONDITIONS: The work occurs in both an office and field environment. Work in the forest environment involves considerable risk of falls due to uneven terrain, steep slopes, thick brush, risk of insect bites, contact with poisonous plants, etc. Work in urban environment includes risks of common encounters with pedestrians, traffic, dogs, etc. Field work often requires moderate to strenuous physical exertion, including walking, bending, and climbing in rugged terrain, under adverse conditions, for long periods of time while carrying moderate loads of 45 pounds or more. Work is conducted during conditions such as rain, snow, wind, dust, extreme heat and extreme cold. On and off trail hiking, driving and navigating may be required. Work in remote field camps or hotels involve overnight travel which may be as high as 40-80% of the time and car camping and backpacking may be required. Moderate risks or discomforts such as driving long distances, flying in helicopters, travel by boat or stock animal, and living in a camp in close quarters may be recurring. Use of hardhat, boots, gloves, and other safety equipment may be required.

Pay Range

$43,251.00 - $68,777.00

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