Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL) - Biologist

Summary

You will serve as a Biologist for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

This is a term position (more than 1 year) with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of ten years, or more based on any changes to regulations governing the number of years term appointments may last, without further competition at management's discretion.

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Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Serve as a program leader for natural resource management projects related to restoration and invasive plant management.
• Plan and implement disturbed-lands restoration projects and early detection and treatment of invasive plants.
• Identify plants, survey for target invasive plants, collect field data and record the data into established or new databases.
• Write detailed technical reports and analyze collected data to identify trends.
• Lead teams that may include NPS seasonals, interns, volunteers, and other agency staff. Occasionally lead larger groups of volunteers in projects.
• Duties in the winter season will include work planning and partnership building with external partners.
• Work with academic partners on related research projects.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit .
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Must have a current or obtain a State Pesticide Applicator's License as a condition of employment.
• You are required to obtain and maintain a Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC).
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You may be required to work weekends, overtime and/or shift work.
• This position has a mixed work schedule based on the varying workload, and your work schedule is subject to change from part-time to full-time as workload dictates.
• 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.

*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/17/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements : To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Basic Educational Requirements : In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• A. Degree: A degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must include academic transcripts to support your answer with your application package. You must submit transcripts.

-OR-

• B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience at this level must include: organizing, scheduling and executing natural resource projects with multiple components, staff crews, or programs; determining and overseeing habitat restoration and invasive plant control efforts; developing and implementing site restoration plans; using computer software including ArcGIS to analyze data and select suitable sites for restoration; communicating with external agencies and partners to gain knowledge and foster collaboration related to landscape restoration projects. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in the fields described in the requirements above. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• A Combination of education and experience .

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

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is within 65 miles of Empire, MI. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service. The agency retains sole discretion and without further competition, the right to extend the duration of this appointment after selection and/or appointment, based on changes to the term appointment regulation(s). No extension to a term appointment shall be granted to a selectee/employee to an amount of time that exceeds the maximum number of years authorized under any present or current regulation, unless such regulation expressly allows such action.

Physical Demands/Work Environment: This position requires some physical exertion. This work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks found in normal field operations.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, .

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.