Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Plants)

Full Job Description

The purpose of the GS-06 position is to perform uncomplicated technical biological science tasks common to natural resource management.

The purpose of the GS-07 position is to perform a wide variety of complex biological science technical support functions. Open to the first 50 applicants or until 03/04/2026 whichever comes first.

All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/04/2026-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-06 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service.

Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.

Specialized experience includes organizing program data and information; applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, and chemical methods to manage forest health threats; performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys; and participating in vegetation management through seed collection, planting, propagating, and weeding.

You must include start/end dates and hours worked per week.

-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level study at an accredited college or university that directly applies to the position such as Agronomy, Crop Science, Botany, Silviculture, Horticulture, etc.

NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.

-OR- COMBINATION: A combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above that when combined equal 100% of the minimum requirements.

For example, six (6) months specialized experience 50%, and nine (9) semesters of graduate education directly related or 50% and when combined equal 100%.

To combine education and experience, first take the amount of completed graduate level education and convert it to a percentage of the full requirement.

Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide it by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications: EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.

Specialized experience for this position includes serving as a project lead to implement ecological resource surveys and management; organizing program data and information; applying/performing a variety of manual, mechanical, and chemical methods to manage forest health threats; performing basic vegetation inventories, studies, and surveys; and participating in vegetation management through seed collection, planting, propagating, and weeding.

You mut include start/end dates and hours worked per week.

-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level study at an accredited college or university that directly applies to the position such as Agronomy, Crop Science, Botany, Silviculture, Horticulture, etc.

NOTE: If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts.

-OR- COMBINATION: A combination of specialized experience and graduate education that when combined equal 100% of the minimum requirements.

For example, six (6) months specialized experience 50%, and nine (9) semesters of graduate education directly related or 50% and when combined equal 100%.

To combine education and experience, first take the amount of completed graduate level education and convert it to a percentage of the full requirement.

Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide it by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

NOTE: If you are qualifying based in part, upon education, you MUST submit a copy of your 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. Major Duties:

Some of the duties you will perform include: Lead field crews, provide support for planning and logistics for vegetation projects.

Identify native and invasive plant species and support vegetation monitoring and measurements. Make field observations of natural resource conditions.

Manage invasive and exotic plant species using chemical, manual, and biological control techniques.

Collect and manage field data using GPS units, tablets, digital camera, paper, and other technology, maintaining accurate records. Assist in the preparation of reports, plans and guidelines.

Install, operate, and maintain resource management equipment (e.g., tools, sampling, monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment).

Serve as a Motorboat Operator, transporting park staff, volunteers, researchers and cooperators.

GS-07 - includes the duties above plus: Provide leadership and guidance to team members during field operations and data collection.

Train others in plant identification; data collection; and in equipment use. APIS - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Bayfield, WI -- Government Housing MAY be available.

Apostle Islands (APIS) National Lakeshore is located at the northern tip of the Bayfield Peninsula of Wisconsin 75 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota.

APIS is a unit of the National Park system and contains 21 islands are spread over a portion of Lake Superior that is nearly 290,000 acres in size - an area larger than Rocky Mountain National Park - that is only accessible by boat.

Eighty percent of the park is with the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness Area. The Lakeshore headquarters and duty station is located in Bayfield, Wisconsin, a small lakefront community.

The communities of Washburn and Ashland are 12 and 23 miles respectively to the south.

Bayfield County has thousands of acres of public lands including national forest, national lakeshore, county forest, and public/private conservancy areas.

There is a rich culture and arts community, including live music "under the tent" at Big Top Chautauqua.

Schools (K-12) and health clinics are available near all three communities, with a hospital and specialty care available in Ashland.

The islands are reached by boat, and you should be able to get on and off boats readily, hike long distances, and carry 50 pounds.