Job Information
National Park Service Physical Science Technician in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Summary These positions may be filled for a six-month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2025. For more park(s) information, select "Learn more about this agency" below: Responsibilities Be a successful applicant. Watch this 5 minute video to learn how to create a federal resume. Duties common to a Physical Science Technician, GS-1311-06 are: These positions work in a variety of program areas such as Water Resources, GIS, Caves, Geology, Air and/or Water Quality, Climate, Soundscapes, etc. Duties will vary by location. Assists with and/or implements established natural resource management projects (e.g., field examinations, field surveys, inventories, etc.) related to one or more of the physical sciences. Collects and organizes field data following instructions and standardized procedures. Performs routine and recurring testing of collected samples. Monitors and evaluates conditions in assigned program area. Evaluates observed conditions and problems and makes preliminary determinations on the cause of problems noted. Utilizes a variety of computer programs to compile, reduce, store, retrieve, analyze, and report data and other resource management information, including natural science research and long-term monitoring projects. 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. Depending on location, occupancy of government quarters may be required. Depending on location, government housing may be available. You may 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-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. If selected for a position/location that requires search and rescue, emergency response, use of firearms, or watercraft operation, 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. If selected for a position/location 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. 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 the closing date of this announcement-11/29/2024-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-06 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work in the fields of geophysics, chemistry, hydrology, engineering, geology, and metallurgy, assisting with natural resources research projects; assisting with compiling and analyzing scientific data into for physical sciences research or natural resource-based studies or reports; operating complex sampling, monitoring, and laboratory equipment; assisting with collecting and analyzing environmental monitoring data such as water quality and quantity, atmospheric chemistry or air quality; and assisting with setting-up and managing remote environmental monitoring equipment such as weather stations and water-quality instruments, or using computer programs such as databases to compile, store, retrieve, analyze and report resource management data. Experience as a laboratory mechanic or in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work was performed in close association with physical scientists or other technical personnel and provided intensive knowledge of appropriate scientific principles, methods, techniques, and precedents. YOU MUST PROVIDE HOURS PER WEEK WORKED ON YOUR RESUME. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hour or 27 quarter hours) directly related to this position in an appropriate field of physical science, such as geology, geoscience, geophysics, earth science, hydrology or other directly related fields. YOU MUST PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of directly related education and specialized experience described above which would qualify me for this position. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 9 semester hours of graduate education, as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify), directly related to this position. YOU MUST PROVIDE 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. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priorÂity 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. 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. Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay. This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification. Not all locations listed will be filling positions. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified if there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. 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., equipment and packs up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Field work includes exposure to extreme weather and terrain conditions, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals. The National Park Service has determined that most temporary positions are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. However, some positions may be able to telework based on the nature of the work.