Supervisory Interdisciplinary Biologist/Ecologist/Physical Scientist

Summary

This position is located in Interior Region 2, in the Inventory and Monitoring Division.

Open to the first 25 applicants or until 08/21/2026 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

This is a Temporary Promotion not to exceed one year.

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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:

• Leads, implements, manages, and serves as a scientific advisor for a complex program of natural resource inventory and monitoring and related activities to address sensitive resource management needs that are affected by a wide variety of issues within and outside the parks. Supervises a staff of five or more professionals as well as coordinating with natural resource staff across seventeen NPS units to accomplish work.
• Undertakes actions to develop and enhance partnerships that support a scientifically credible, sustainable network-based program of long-term Inventory & Monitoring activities. Partners include: parks, other networks, universities, non-profits, and other government agencies.
• Ensures I&M program funds are effectively and appropriately used to accomplish program goals and required reports are complete, accurate, and timely. Administrative documentation (e.g. credit card statements, travel authorization and vouchers, and responses to regional and national data calls) is clear, compliant, and timely. Fiscal and administrative procedures are consistent with NPS policy.
• Provides technical expertise to develop and implement technically sound, scientifically rigorous, and innovative approaches to monitor and analyze results of monitoring the network's natural resources (Vital Signs). Obtains, coordinates or initiates research needed to support inventory and monitoring activities. Maintains a high level of technical competence within relevant natural resource fields. Provides peer review for network and other Inventory and Monitoring scientific products.
• Actively and regularly communicates across administrative levels, among parks, and across program areas. Promotes high standards of interpersonal communication and teamwork. Proactively engages with coworkers and partners to address emerging needs. Employs effective tracking tools so that staff and partners share a common understanding of annual goals and milestones.

Requirements

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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.
• Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments and must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• 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 may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 3 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.
• The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/21/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience . For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.

Basic Qualifications Requirements: You must meet one of the following basic qualification requirements below, for the Interdisciplinary Supervisory Biologist/Ecologist/Physical Scientist, GS-0401/0408/1301-13. If you do not meet these basic qualifications, you will be considered not qualified and will not receive consideration for this position.

Basic Requirements for Biologist, GS-0401:

• Have successfully completed a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must include academic transcripts with your application package.

-OR-

• Have a combination of education and experience. Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above; PLUS, experience directly related to the position being filled and/or additional related education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must demonstrate that you possess the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position to be filled and equal 100% of the requirement when combined. You must include academic transcripts to support your answer with your application package. You must include academic transcripts with your application package.

Basic Requirements for Ecologist, GS-0408:

• Have successfully completed a degree in biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical science. You must include academic transcripts with your application package.

Basic Requirements for Physical Scientist, GS-1301:

• Have successfully completed a degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. You must include academic transcripts with your application package.

-OR-

• Have a combination of education and experience and education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science; PLUS, experience directly related to the position being filled and/or additional related education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must demonstrate that you possess the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position to be filled and equal 100% of the requirement when combined. You must include academic transcripts with your application package.

In addition to the above, applicants must also possess the following:

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level of GS-12 in federal service or equivalent (obtained either in the private or public sectors). Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include: (1) collecting and organizing ecological data; (2) designing study plans that identify or help solve natural resource management problems; (3) monitoring expenditure of funds; (4) developing work plans, schedules, cost estimates, and funding proposals; and (5) applying technical writing and editing skills in composition and review of complex science reports or papers. You must include hours per week worked.

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

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

All 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, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.

Physical Demands/Work Environment : Field work requires strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, hiking, climbing, and lifting and carrying heavy objects. Some field activities occur in physically dangerous or uncomfortable settings. Documentary research and report-writing is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time. Work is performed primarily indoors. Field work is performed outdoors in all types of weather. Outdoor assignments may be performed in potentially hazardous areas including steep slopes, rocky terrain, caves, arctic and marine environments, swamps, and/or forests, as well as exposure to biting and disease-carrying insects and poisonous plants.

This is an interdisciplinary position. Position may be filled as Supervisory Interdisciplinary Biologist/Ecologist/Physical Scientist

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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.