The purpose of the position is to perform a variety of complex physical science technical support functions. Organizes, schedules, and conducts a wide variety of established projects, such as field examinations, field surveys, and inventories. Collects and organizes field data using standardized data collection procedures and equipment; uses judgment to apply precedents and established techniques to new situations.

Duties

Coordinates the park's volunteer cave exploration program. Some projects require participation in caving trips up to 12 hours per day and will require multiple-day trips within the cave while navigating through passages that are 8 1/2 inches high. Organizes and maintains exploration field notes, permits, trip reports, cave survey gear and preliminary draft maps. Enters and processes data. Drafts and digitizes final maps of new surveys. Serves as a point of contact for off-trail trip leaders and conducts trip leader training sessions as needed. Plans and leads routine in-cave field work for cave management purposes, including monthly water sampling trips, algae control, photo monitoring, and human impact mitigation along travel routes within the cave. Participates in Cave Search and Rescue (SAR) team, using and providing instruction on vertical cave rescue techniques. Assists with a variety of monitoring and research projects in geology, hydrology, and cave air flow studies, bat studies, vegetation monitoring, etc. Updates and maintains the park's GIS system. Creates maps for geological features and other purposes. Provides information to all park divisions as needed. Coordinates and provides technical and organizational support for the park's vegetation management crew, and other surface management projects. Prepares and presents training sessions for park staff, volunteers and external partners. Working Conditions: The work is performed in an office, laboratory, and in the field. Field work includes exposure to extreme weather and terrain conditions, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals. Laboratory work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals. Work inside the cave is dark, slippery, uneven surfaces and tight crawls. You must be able to navigate through passages that are 8 1/2 inches high. The work requires caving trips lasting 12-16 hours and performing multiple-day trips within the cave. Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., equipment and packs up to 50 pounds) must be lifted and carried on a routine basis.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/20/2023-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. 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 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. 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. SELECTIVE FACTOR: This position performs extensive off trail caving and requires previous caving experience using maps and low impact caving techniques to navigate to underground work sites, traveling through passages that are only 8 ½ inches high and participating on trips that are up to 12 hours in a day. You must document your experience in your resume. 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-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 comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include work in the fields of geophysics, chemistry, hydrology, engineering, geology, and metallurgy, assisting with natural resources research projects; compiling and analyzing scientific data into for physical sciences research or natural resource-based studies or reports; operating complex sampling, monitoring, and laboratory equipment; Navigating through cave passages and digitally drafting complex 3D maze caves or similar features, or using computer programs such as databases to compile, store, retrieve, analyze and report resource management data. Experience as a laboratory mechanic or in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work was performed in close association with physical scientists or other technical personnel and provided intensive knowledge of appropriate scientific principles, methods, techniques, and precedents. YOU MUST PROVIDE HOURS PER WEEK WORKED ON YOUR RESUME -OR-EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hour or 27 quarter hours) directly related to this position in an appropriate field of physical science, such as geology, geoscience, geophysics, earth science, environmental science, hydrology or other directly related fields. You must include transcripts -OR-Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 6 months (9 semester hours) of graduate education, as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify), directly related to this position. YOU MUST PROVIDE 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.

Contacts

• Address Jewel Cave National Monument 11149 US Hwy 16 Building B12 Custer, SD 57730 US
• Name: MWR HR West Team
• Phone: 402 661 1986
• Email: [email protected]