Summary This position is located in South Florida Caribbean Network, in the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Division. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 05/19/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an assistant to the Fisheries Biologist and Marine Ecologist for the South Florida/Caribbean Inventory and Monitoring Network (SFCN). The Marine Ecology section of the network provides the following for the national parks located within the region: Facilitates baseline inventories on marine resources. Collects, manages, analyzes, and reports long-term data on marine resources. Effectively delivers data and information on resource condition to park managers, planners, interpreters, and other key audiences. Incumbent participates in the design and planning of research projects; independently establishes projects and conducts field work and develops natural resource monitoring programs. Maintains written records from field work; data input, data management and data proofing; performs statistical analyses and prepares detailed written reports. Performs scientific and technical SCUBA diving and operates a day vessel (< 32') in performing water related field work. Requirements 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 submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. You will be required to submit to and pass a physical examination required for NPS Blue Card (diving) certification prior to appointment. You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's 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 driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. You must pass the Department of Interior Motorboat Operators Certification Course (MOCC) within six (6) months of entry on duty. 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. If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. 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 Requirements Continued... NPS Divers must successfully complete and remain current in Adult CPR/AED, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration. You must obtain and maintain a NPS Blue Card (diving certification) within six (6) months of entry on duty. In order to obtain and maintain a NPS Blue Card you must complete the following: Swim 25 yards underwater without swim aids. Swim 400 yards without swim aids within 15-minute time limit. Kick on the surface 330 yards while wearing scuba gear, but not breathing from scuba unit. Swim 900 yards within 18 minutes, using mask, fins and snorkel and any stroke. Surface dive without swim aids to least 10 feet and recover an object. Without swim aids, perform an in-water swimming rescue of a swimmer and transport a distance of 25 yards. Tread water for 10 minutes, or 2 minutes without the use of hands/arms, without swim aids. Complete a simulated emergency swimming ascent and other in-water annual certification requirements. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/19/2024-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. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/19/2024-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 advanced open water SCUBA certification and also requires that you have completed at least 50 scientific and/or commercial dives. You must submit copies of certification cards and dive logs displaying complete information for each dive to demonstrate that you meet this requirement. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-07 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 equivalent in the level of difficulty and responsibility to that of at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined 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. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Substantial and practical technical knowledge of the methods, procedures, and technology of basic fisheries and natural marine resources management; performing SCUBA dives to collect and record data and evaluate natural marine resource conditions; performing underwater photography/videography; assisting with recording, entry, quality assurance/quality control and providing preliminary analysis on marine resource data; preparing reports and utilizing computer programs to process field data (e.g. Access, Excel, Word, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere, ArcMap etc.). Skill and ability to apply knowledge with only general guidance and/or supervision. Ability to solve practical problems in a wide range of functions in field or office setting. Ability to recognize, record, and adapt to unusual conditions or data encountered in the normal course of work. Works independently at discretion of the project lead. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: At least one full year of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. With major study in any combination of scientific or technical courses. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have six months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 9 semester hours of graduate work in a field of study that is directly-related to the work of this position (50% of the education requirement). 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. Education To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Additional Information A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Physical Demands: The work frequently requires strenuous field activities involving SCUBA diving and snorkeling in open waters; exposure to sun, heat, high winds, and rough seas. Dive operations may involve the use of open-circuit or closed-circuit dive equipment. Duties may also involve hiking in rugged, steep terrain often in isolated areas throughout the park. Heavy items (e.g., equipment, scuba equipment and packs up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis. Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors and is subject to weather and terrain variances. SCUBA diving and boat operation duties involve exposure to extreme changes in water conditions, water pressure and physical environment. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.