These positions are located in National Capital Area Office. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for National Capital Area Office is April-October, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April Open to the first 100 applicants or until 12/26/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/26/2025-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. SELECTIVE FACTOR: This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a valid driver's license. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your valid drivers license - AND - 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 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). Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys; Participating in site rehabilitation through soil preparation, native seed dispersal, live planting and weeding; applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, chemical, and/or bio-control methods in planned management of exotics (non-natives), native species, and/or weeds, etc. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of 4 years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited educational institution (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) which included at least 24 semester hours of 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 this position. Examples of directly related education are biology, botany, range science, forestry, ecology, environmental science, zoology, fisheries, animal husbandry, natural resource management or other directly related fields. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts. You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week. 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.
The major duties of the Biological Science Technician include, but are not limited to, the following: Collect field data concerning plant ecology using established monitoring protocols. Perform various field tasks related to quantitative plant ecology, including: installation and maintenance of permanent forest monitoring plots; navigation to remote field sites using global positioning system (GPS) technologies, maps, and a compass; measurement of trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, sedges, and grasses; description of forest canopy and habitat characteristics; collection of GPS and photo point data; and identification and collection of plant specimens. Perform in remote and urban locations, and will require attention to safety, long hikes carrying field gear, comfort working in wetland habitats, and excellent field biology skills. Identify vascular plant species of the mid-Alantic region. Responsible for vegetation inventory and monitoring; delineating, mapping, and classifying plant communities; preparing detailed site descriptions of rare or non-native plant occurrences; collecting voucher specimens; preparing and maintaining equipment; assisting in the herbarium, including maintaining specimens, preparing labels, and identifying specimens. Perform data entry, basic manipulation, and implementation of quality control procedures, assist with report writing, data analysis, and presentation preparation.