Biological scientist/plant pathologist/entomologist
Company Name:
Department Of Agriculture
US Citizens and Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
Permanent Full-Time
A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation''s most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies.
It''s an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.
This position is located in the Mt Hood National Forest Headquarters, Westside Forest Health Protection Service Center. The duty station for the position is in Sandy, Oregon.
The position serves as the Regional program manager for the forest health protection aerial survey program. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Beth Willhite at or .us.
This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number 14-0606-25280G-KW. Current or former Federal employees may apply to both announcements, but should be sure to apply to the Merit Promotion Announcement in order to avoid losing consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. Disabled veterans, candidates with 3 or more years of active duty military service, and candidates eligible for special hiring authorities may apply to the Merit Promotion Announcement if they meet the criteria outlined in the announcement and submit supporting documentation.
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.
This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements.
USCITIZEN SSR PROBATION US Citizenship is required. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. A 1-year probationary period is required.
Furnishes leadership and guidance for the Pacific Northwest Region Aerial Survey Program.
Applies aerial survey methodologies and associated technologies to meet program objectives.
Develops and manages aerial survey data and databases for Regional Forest Health Protection Aerial Survey Program.
Serves as a staff specialist in global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS); incorporates information from aerial surveys into geospatial databases, ensures accurate compilation, computation, and conversion to national format of survey data and maps, produces tabular and spatial data summary outputs.
Provides technical assistance concerning forest pest location, extent and severity to land managers and other clients.
Maintains working relationships with other land management agencies, research organizations and educational institutions; works in collaboration with a wide variety of Federal and State agencies to demonstrate and market the application and utilization of aerial survey data to assist resource management.
Prepares and writes reports to present survey data including maps, summary tables and graphic displays.
REQUIREMENTS:
Subject to satisfactory completion of a one year supervisory/managerial probationary period.
May be subject to satisfactory completion of one year probationary or trial period.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form: i.e., the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click on the Apply Online button to the right.
To view the application form, visit:
You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered eligible for all positions at the GS-5 grade level and above.
Education :
GS-0401-12 Biological Sciences Series:
Bachelor''s Degree: 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-0434-12, Plant Pathology Series:
Bachelor''s Degree: plant pathology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology.
Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, agronomy, forestry, horticulture, or similar subjects may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in basic botany or plant science. To meet the specific 10-semester-hour requirement in plant pathology, the courses must have been in plant pathology, or have dealt with specific subject matter areas of plant pathology such as those concerned with viruses, fungal or bacterial diseases, host-plant relationships, biotic or chemical controls, environmental or physiological diseases, parasitic diseases, etc.
If using graduate education to qualify, the degree must have been in plant pathology, or in one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on plant pathology or one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology.
GS-0414-12 Entomology Series:
Bachelor''s Degree: entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology. Applicants with major fields of study in biology, zoology, or invertebrate zoology may fully meet the basic educational requirements if their academic preparation included substantive instruction (including appropriate laboratory and field work) in basic general entomology, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, general and organic chemistry, general physics, and mathematics or statistics that provided some training in the analysis of variables.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major that included course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Specialized Experience :
In addition to the basic requirements, the following additional education and/or experience are qualifying. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
For the GS-12 grade level you would need to possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Examples of specialized experience are: Planned, coordinated and conducted aerial detection surveys over Federal, State, and private lands to map the identity, location, and severity of forest insects and diseases. Utilized digital data collection techniques and procedures to map tree damage and mortality while flying in small aircraft. Developed and maintained natural resource databases; reviewed existing data and collections for accuracy and appropriateness. Using GIS and other database software, produced data summaries, graphic displays, reports and maps of regional insect and disease activity. Provided analytical support to GIS personnel and assisted other teams by use of GIS data set creation and complex applications involving a mix of relational database sources. Made oral and written reports on survey accomplishments and observations. Provided technical services to land managers on the interpretation or application of aerial insect and disease survey data. Maintained aviation safety requirements for aerial surveying.
To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements as of the closing date of this announcement.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.
The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at . It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click Apply Online and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.
You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on Application Status. Click on the position title, and then select Update Application to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency''s staffing system. Once in the Agency''s staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
You must submit a complete Application Package, prior to 11:59, ET, on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents must be submitted for your application package to be considered complete. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are received within the required timeframes. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, system failure or downtime, etc. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 5) supervisors phone number and e-mail address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 6) other qualifications.
College Transcripts if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or you are substituting education for specialized experience and/or if you are using education to meet the criteria for the quality category. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
DD-214 (Member 4 Copy) if claiming Veterans' Preference. Veterans claiming 10 point preference must also submit a VA Letter and an SF-15 Application for 10-point Veteran Preference. Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within the last 120 days.
Other required documents may include:
CTAP/ICTAP Required Documentation Reduction-In-Force: Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; AND most recent performance evaluation; AND SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from.
Worker''s Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
NOTE : If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency''s staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency''s staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an acknowledgement email that the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Normally, a final job offer to the selected candidate is made within 30-60 days after the issuance of the certificate Relocation expenses are not authorized.
We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide proof of eligibility. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency''s definition for a quality candidate to be considered. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on OPM''s Career Transition Resources website at .
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.
/Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
Department Of Agriculture
US Citizens and Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
Permanent Full-Time
A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation''s most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies.
It''s an awesome responsibility - but the rewards are as limitless as the views.
This position is located in the Mt Hood National Forest Headquarters, Westside Forest Health Protection Service Center. The duty station for the position is in Sandy, Oregon.
The position serves as the Regional program manager for the forest health protection aerial survey program. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Beth Willhite at or .us.
This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number 14-0606-25280G-KW. Current or former Federal employees may apply to both announcements, but should be sure to apply to the Merit Promotion Announcement in order to avoid losing consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. Disabled veterans, candidates with 3 or more years of active duty military service, and candidates eligible for special hiring authorities may apply to the Merit Promotion Announcement if they meet the criteria outlined in the announcement and submit supporting documentation.
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.
This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements.
USCITIZEN SSR PROBATION US Citizenship is required. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. A 1-year probationary period is required.
Furnishes leadership and guidance for the Pacific Northwest Region Aerial Survey Program.
Applies aerial survey methodologies and associated technologies to meet program objectives.
Develops and manages aerial survey data and databases for Regional Forest Health Protection Aerial Survey Program.
Serves as a staff specialist in global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS); incorporates information from aerial surveys into geospatial databases, ensures accurate compilation, computation, and conversion to national format of survey data and maps, produces tabular and spatial data summary outputs.
Provides technical assistance concerning forest pest location, extent and severity to land managers and other clients.
Maintains working relationships with other land management agencies, research organizations and educational institutions; works in collaboration with a wide variety of Federal and State agencies to demonstrate and market the application and utilization of aerial survey data to assist resource management.
Prepares and writes reports to present survey data including maps, summary tables and graphic displays.
REQUIREMENTS:
Subject to satisfactory completion of a one year supervisory/managerial probationary period.
May be subject to satisfactory completion of one year probationary or trial period.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form: i.e., the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click on the Apply Online button to the right.
To view the application form, visit:
You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered eligible for all positions at the GS-5 grade level and above.
Education :
GS-0401-12 Biological Sciences Series:
Bachelor''s Degree: 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-0434-12, Plant Pathology Series:
Bachelor''s Degree: plant pathology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology.
Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, agronomy, forestry, horticulture, or similar subjects may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in basic botany or plant science. To meet the specific 10-semester-hour requirement in plant pathology, the courses must have been in plant pathology, or have dealt with specific subject matter areas of plant pathology such as those concerned with viruses, fungal or bacterial diseases, host-plant relationships, biotic or chemical controls, environmental or physiological diseases, parasitic diseases, etc.
If using graduate education to qualify, the degree must have been in plant pathology, or in one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on plant pathology or one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology.
GS-0414-12 Entomology Series:
Bachelor''s Degree: entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology. Applicants with major fields of study in biology, zoology, or invertebrate zoology may fully meet the basic educational requirements if their academic preparation included substantive instruction (including appropriate laboratory and field work) in basic general entomology, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, general and organic chemistry, general physics, and mathematics or statistics that provided some training in the analysis of variables.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major that included course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Specialized Experience :
In addition to the basic requirements, the following additional education and/or experience are qualifying. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
For the GS-12 grade level you would need to possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Examples of specialized experience are: Planned, coordinated and conducted aerial detection surveys over Federal, State, and private lands to map the identity, location, and severity of forest insects and diseases. Utilized digital data collection techniques and procedures to map tree damage and mortality while flying in small aircraft. Developed and maintained natural resource databases; reviewed existing data and collections for accuracy and appropriateness. Using GIS and other database software, produced data summaries, graphic displays, reports and maps of regional insect and disease activity. Provided analytical support to GIS personnel and assisted other teams by use of GIS data set creation and complex applications involving a mix of relational database sources. Made oral and written reports on survey accomplishments and observations. Provided technical services to land managers on the interpretation or application of aerial insect and disease survey data. Maintained aviation safety requirements for aerial surveying.
To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements as of the closing date of this announcement.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.
The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at . It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click Apply Online and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required.
You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on Application Status. Click on the position title, and then select Update Application to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency''s staffing system. Once in the Agency''s staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
You must submit a complete Application Package, prior to 11:59, ET, on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents must be submitted for your application package to be considered complete. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are received within the required timeframes. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, system failure or downtime, etc. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 5) supervisors phone number and e-mail address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 6) other qualifications.
College Transcripts if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or you are substituting education for specialized experience and/or if you are using education to meet the criteria for the quality category. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
DD-214 (Member 4 Copy) if claiming Veterans' Preference. Veterans claiming 10 point preference must also submit a VA Letter and an SF-15 Application for 10-point Veteran Preference. Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within the last 120 days.
Other required documents may include:
CTAP/ICTAP Required Documentation Reduction-In-Force: Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; AND most recent performance evaluation; AND SF-50 demonstrating your separation or the position you will be separated from.
Worker''s Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
NOTE : If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency''s staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency''s staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an acknowledgement email that the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Normally, a final job offer to the selected candidate is made within 30-60 days after the issuance of the certificate Relocation expenses are not authorized.
We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide proof of eligibility. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency''s definition for a quality candidate to be considered. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on OPM''s Career Transition Resources website at .
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.
/Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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