- Position Title
- Biological Scientist/Physical Scientist
- Agency
- Forest Service
- Announcement Number
- 24-RES-12208757-DP-BVB Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Wednesday, November 22, 2023 to Wednesday, December 13, 2023
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
2.
Are you a current USDA employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee, in which received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF)? If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
3.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a Federal agency other than USDA? If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
• you are located in the same local commuting area as the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
4.
Have you registered for reemployment consideration AND meet one of the below:
• Are you a current or former competitive service USDA employee who will be or was separated by Reduction-In-Force (RIF) and received a rating of satisfactory or above as your last annual performance rating?
OR
• Are you a former USDA competitive service employee who separated due to a compensable injury or disability?
• Are you a current or former competitive service USDA employee who will be or was separated by Reduction-In-Force (RIF) and received a rating of satisfactory or above as your last annual performance rating?
OR
• Are you a former USDA competitive service employee who separated due to a compensable injury or disability?
Preferences
1.
Select the series you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one series.
2.
Are you a current or former Political appointee, Presidential appointee, and/or non-career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointee?
Assessment 1
Basic requirement for GS-0401 series.
1.
From the statements below, select the response that best describes your education and/or experience as it pertains to meeting the Basic Requirements for this position. To be minimally qualified for this position you must possess the required degree/coursework, combination of education in a related discipline, or a combination of education and experience. For a detailed explanation of qualifying education and experience, review the information in the vacancy announcement or visit the OPM Qualifications website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/biological-science-series-0401/ (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/biological-science-series-0401/). You will be required to provide transcripts with your application to validate that you meet degree/coursework requirements for this position. Please select only one response.
Basic requirement for GS-1301 series.
2.
From the statements below, select the response that best describes your education and/or experience as it pertains to meeting the Basic Requirements for this position. To be minimally qualified for this position you must possess the required degree/coursework, combination of education in a related discipline, or a combination of education and experience. For a detailed explanation of qualifying education and experience, review the information in the vacancy announcement or visit the OPM Qualifications website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/physical-science-series-1301/(https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/physical-science-series-1301/). You will have to provide transcripts with your application to validate that you meet degree/coursework requirements for this position. Please select only one response.
3.
From the statements below, select the response that best describes your education and/or experience as it pertains to meeting the Basic Requirements for this Biological Scientist/Physical Scientist GS-09 position.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
4.
Provide technical expertise, staff coordination and consultation in the areas of data visualization and analytics, sensor programming and deployment, and data-management applications.
5.
Provide programmatic and technical advice for the collection, compilation, storage, analysis, reporting, and distribution of strategic multi-resource data.
6.
Perform a wide variety of tasks and analyses that result in new or significantly improved techniques or solutions.
7.
Apply and integrate techniques from statistical analysis, forest inventory, biogeochemical, hydrological and climatological best practices, and geospatial analysis to database operations and data science.
8.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to develop technical and innovative approaches to data collection, analysis, and reporting.
9.
Curate research data collected by researchers and from sensor networks, which includes accurately transferring data and reconciling inconsistencies, creating metadata records to document changes, and storing backup versions of original data files.
10.
Lead collaborative teams in the design, development, and maintenance (including normalization) of existing standalone and internet-enabled databases.
11.
Use Structured Query Language (SQL), R, Python and MatLab and ability to write scripts in relevant software environments to organize and conduct quality control analyses of data.
12.
Assist researchers and staff in manipulation of data. Develops, promotes, and follows data governance activities such as cataloging data, contributing to metadata management, data lineage, and data quality.
13.
Archive and analyze biological and/or physical science data and metadata to address complex resource issues.
14.
Operate complex computer systems and software packages and develop procedures to produce and maintain systems for archiving and distributing biological and physical data.
15.
Apply data science principles using commercial software and custom programs to resolve multi-disciplinary issues in database construction, compilation, and quality control.
16.
Develop and prepares presentations and briefings to program leadership, collaborators, and others on long-term trends in data and on availability of archived data.
17.
Collaborate and advise on many research and monitoring projects to satisfy the requirements of data users and research scientists.
18.
Assist data users and researchers in extracting and interpreting natural resource data and responds to frequent, complex user requests after consultation with supervisor.
19.
Communicates with other data managers across agencies and universities to improve best practices and develop new techniques.
20.
Analyze work processes to determine the feasibility of upgrading data management protocols or implementing new ones.
21.
Test programs to ensure accurate and statistically consistent operation and identifies problems and bottlenecks in the information management system and makes corrections and improvements.
22.
Define, analyze, and implement data requirements and specifications.
23.
Write and maintain documentation and metadata related to natural resource and environmental data.
24.
Identify problems and specific issues in assigned area(s) and conducts analyses of systems to determine nature of requirements, logical work, and information flows.
25.
If any of your education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. Contacts for private organizations that specialize in this evaluation is located here: http://www.naces.org/members.htm. A fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
26.
Education is required for the job series advertised. You must submit a copy of your transcripts showing the basic education required for the series advertised. It may be necessary to attach transcripts from multiple institutions and/or to attach both undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
27.
Your responses to the Announcement and Assessment Questionnaires, along with your resume and all supporting documentation are subject to evaluation and verification to ensure accuracy. Submitting false information or attempts to falsify information may be grounds for disqualifying you or for terminating you after you have been hired. Please take this opportunity to review your responses to ensure their accuracy.
28.
Please select the statement(s) that reflect your educational achievement(s). Transcripts, certificates, or other appropriate documentation must be included with this application to verify GPA, coursework, and degree.