(SEASONAL) Biological Science Technician (Plants)

Additional Information:
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Great Smoky Mountains National Park is April - November but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions project needs or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 5 2026

Major Duties:

• Assist with planning and implementation of forest insects and disease programs including completion of standardized survey data collection and identification of specimens control actions and pre and post treatment monitoring.
• Assist in vegetation management especially in the documentation control and monitoring of more than 75 exotic invasive plant species.
• Understands safe and efficient work methods. Assist the supervisor and/or crew leader in tool and equipment maintenance and repair property inventories safety inspections logistical support and data management.
• Provides advice assistance and training to students student conservation assistants and volunteers involved in resource management projects and field research.
• Implements established natural resource management projects. Following instructions and standardized procedures collects and organizes field data.

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.
• You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid drivers license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operators 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 drivers licenses whether current or past possessed by you.
• You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• You will 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 shift work.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• 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-02/05/2026-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-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). This experience includes activities such as: Research activity or control program work; 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; Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work but only performed assigned tasks would
not qualify as specialized experience. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology chemistry statistics entomology animal husbandry botany physics agriculture or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience first take the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a bachelors degree in excess of 60 semester hours and divide by 60 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include 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.

Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority 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. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice a copy of their most recent Performance Rating and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position grade level and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment OF-306 prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you or for firing you after you begin work. Also you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code Title 18 section 1001).