This position is located in Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network, in the natural resources division. Open to the first 75 applicants or until 08/25/2023 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Duties

Major Duties: Responsible for conducting field operations for long-term monitoring of aquatic resources (fish, aquatic invertebrates, aquatic vegetation, water quality, aquatic habitat) as described in monitoring protocols and standard operating procedures and will contribute to periodic updates and refinements of protocols and SOPs. Conduct all aspects of fish community and aquatic invertebrate monitoring including field data collection using electrofishing equipment and nets, sample processing and identification of fish and invertebrates, stream habitat assessment, maintaining current nomenclature for aquatic invertebrates and maintaining a specimen reference collection for quality control and training. They will analyze and interpret aquatic resource monitoring data using statistical software tools and ecological metrics, and communicates results in summary briefs, technical reports, and journal articles. Conduct aspects of water quality monitoring, including maintenance and calibration of water quality equipment and field deployment. They will use data management systems to enter monitoring data, perform data quality assurance, document metadata, and prepare data exports for statistical analysis. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/25/2023-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 frequently performs work in remote locations that require the ability to independently drive a vehicle., and a valid driver's license is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. - AND - To qualify for this position at the GS-7 or 9 grade levels, you must also meet the basic requirement listed below, and minimum qualifications for the GS-7 and/or GS-9 position. Basic Requirement for both the GS-7 and GS-9 Ecologist positions: Must have a bachelor's or higher 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 sciences. Transcripts must be included. Minimum Qualifications for the GS-7 Ecologist EXPERIENCE: One year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to a GS-05 in ecological research or monitoring. Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of an Ecologist. Specialized experience includes: collecting ecological field data using standard operating procedures and protocols, processing biological samples in the lab, conducting data entry of ecological data in computer databases, and performing basic data analysis following standard operating procedures. OR EDUCATION: Completed one year of graduate level education (18 semester hours) in ecology, biology, or other directly related field of study. Transcripts must be included OR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Qualify under Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). Applicant must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.1. Class standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field of study in biology, ecology, or other directly related field of study. Transcripts must be included which show your class standing, GPA, and documentation for membership into an honor society. OR Successful completion of a combination of equivalent specialized experience listed above and graduate education in ecology, biology, or directly related field. Minimum Qualifications for GS-9 Ecologist EXPERIENCE: One year of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to a GS-07 in ecological research or monitoring. Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of an Ecologist. Specialized experience includes leading ecological field data collection using standard operating procedures or protocols, assisting with planning, organizing, or implementing ecological monitoring or research, performing higher-level data analysis to answer ecological management or research questions, interpretation of data analysis, writing portions of reports, publications, or plans, conducting quality assurance of data during data collection and data entry. OR EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate level education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent degree in ecology, biology, or a directly related field. Transcripts must be included. OR Successful completion of a combination of the specialized experience listed above and graduate education. Transcripts must be included. 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.

Contacts

• Address Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network 3424 West Farm Road 182 Republic, MO 65804 US
• Name: Central HR Central Team
• Phone: 402-661-1562
• Email: [email protected]