Biological Sciences Technician: Restoration

MAJOR DUTIES:

This job is a Biological Science Technician, focused specifically on the restoration of a burned area in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area of the National Park Service, in southern California. 

This is a field job responsible for implementation of projects related to post-fire emergency rehabilitation, including invasive weed control and restoration of native grasslands, coastal sage scrub and valley oak. Tasks may include the following: seed collection and native plant propagation; planting, maintenance and weed eradication at restoration sites; vegetation surveys; collecting, analyzing and evaluating field data; and working with Geographic Information System staff to create and maintain project databases. Person will coordinate, lead and supervise interns, volunteers and work crews, and maintain all records and tools necessary for successful completion of projects.  Fieldwork may involve digging, heavy lifting and arduous off-trail hiking on steep slopes and in dense brush in all weather conditions and in potential contact with poison oak, ticks and rattlesnakes.  Some projects require the use of power tools and judicious application of herbicide.

This job requires interaction with staff ecologists, other plant bio technicians, volunteers, work crews, and the general public.  The ability to work as a team member and effectively communicate verbally and in writing is required. 

Experience

Experience that demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully the duties of the job to be filled.  Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to the following: 

· Research activity or control program work including exotic species management and control

· Nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment.

· Work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice.

· Research and resource management activities requiring detailed record keeping and data management

· Identification of plant species using a variety of keys and preparation and mounting of herbarium specimens

· Fieldwork following established experimental design and data collection protocols, such as vegetation sampling and soils mapping

· Instructing, leading, coordinating, and supervising volunteers in nursery and field activities

NOTE:  Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (e.g., if you work 20 hours per week for a 12-month period, you will be credited with six (6) months of experience).

or

EDUCATION (Substitution for Experience)

If qualifying on EDUCATION, send a copy of your COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS or list of college courses.  For education completed in a FOREIGN institution, send evidence that the course work is equivalent to United States educational standards and that you have the required knowledge, skills or abilities for this job.

UNDERgraduate course work: Four-year course of study above high school leading to a BACHELOR'S degree with 24 semester (or 36 quarter) units of related course work in biology, chemistry, plant ecology, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics, geology, plant taxonomy, experimental design, and soil science, with at least six semester (or nine quarter) units in botany, plant ecology, plant taxonomy, vegetation science, or community ecology, weed management and nursery management.

One-year of full-time academic study is 30 semester or 45 quarter units.

GRADUATE course work: plant ecology, botany, plant taxonomy, experimental design, vegetation science, biogeography, community ecology, weed management and nursery management

One year of full-time GRADUATE education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study.  If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester or 27 quarter units will be considered an academic year of graduate study. 

Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

COMBINING Experience and Education        

Experience and education can be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements for this job.  Experience and education should be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal 100% when combined.

*********

See specific EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE standards for each grade.

GS-05

Experience:

One-year as described above equivalent to at least GS-4 level work.