This position is located in Pacific West Regional Office, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12, in the Mediterranean Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network. Open to the first 101 applicants or until 08/13/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Duties

The incumbent serves as a biologist or ecologist functioning in the capacity of a Data Scientist for the Mediterranean Coast Network's (MEDN) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program, duty-stationed in Thousand Oaks or San Diego, CA. MEDN serves three national park units: Cabrillo National Monument, Channel Islands National Park, and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. MEDN I&M collects, manages, and delivers biological, ecological, and natural resource data and scientific information that includes, but is not limited to, marine and terrestrial vegetation, wildlife, sensitive species, exotic species, water quality, and aquatic ecology. The MEDN I&M assists park managers in developing a broad-based understanding of the status and trends of park resources as a basis for making decisions and working with other agencies and the public for the long-term protection of park ecosystems. Located in between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara in Ventura County, Thousand Oaks is nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and with over 15,000 acres of natural, publicly owned open space located within the City's boundaries. The city prides itself on its designated open space with 150 miles of trails for hiking and biking. Thousand Oaks is home to some of the nation's top schools, outstanding parks, and a myriad of shopping opportunities. San Diego is renowned for its idyllic climate, pristine beaches and a dazzling array of world-class family attractions. Please visit Mediterranean Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) to learn more about this network. Major Duties: Leads all aspects of the Mediterranean Coast Network Inventory and Monitoring Network data-management program, including development and implementation of tabular databases, spatial databases, and advanced analytical, computational, and/or predictive modeling tools, database protocols, and quality assurance and control plans. May include developing scopes of work, technical criteria, and means by which to achieve data-management goals through the development of relational databases, applications, scripts, templates, or other tools. Monitors and adjusts projects through their lifecycle to ensure that projects achieve desired goals within time and budgetary expectations. Develops - and oversees the development of - tools and practices to facilitate the collection, quality control, publication, dissemination, exploration, and use of inventory & monitoring data so as to improve MEDN Parks' abilities to better manage their resources based on scientific information. Applies advanced quantitative, computer-science, and/or statistical skills to organize, analyze and/or interpret large and/or complex data sets. Designs and implements user interfaces, relational database applications, organizational data plans, data protocols, and summary tools for a wide range of ecological and physical data. Manages the process for review and publication of high-quality inventory & monitoring datasets. Supports and encourages open-science practices, whereby data produced by MEDN I&M Vital Signs programs are reproducible, transparent, appropriately reviewed, and publicly available to the extent possible. Ensures that data collected by IMD are published following FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). Manages computer systems in collaboration with IT staff and integrates a variety of database and spatial management software. Proactively plans for and maintains computer systems, and associated hardware and software, current in multiple national parks. Designs and implements relational databases using enterprise-level software. Writes or develops reports, briefings, scientific articles, presentations, or other communications products to convey information about MEDN Inventory & Monitoring science and data management practices to a variety of audiences, including internal and external scientists, managers, planners, park staff, cooperators, and partners. Responsible for participating in, leading, and facilitating technical workshops, meetings, and training events with participants from parks, other agencies, academia, etc. Collaborates with staff to define and develop statistical and advanced analytic methods and solutions for a variety of high-profile data science and modeling projects. Collaborates within and between agencies to increase usefulness and dissemination of ecological monitoring data. Mentors, trains, and leads data-management staff to share and integrate datasets with colleagues, develop new tools, and address complex of unusual data-related problems. 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-08/13/2024-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. Candidates must meet the at least ONE of the Basic Requirements for series 0401 or series 0408 AND Specialized Experience Requirements for each grade they wish to be considered for. Basic Requirement for Biologist 0401: You must possess a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines. YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS. -OR- Possess a combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience must demonstrate similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation. YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS. -OR- Basic Requirement for Ecologist 0408: You must possess 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 sciences. YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS. -AND- To Qualify for a GS-11: Education: Possess 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree.YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS. -OR- Specialized Experience: Possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience must include all the following: Experience collecting, cleaning, and summarizing scientific data for use in analysis and reporting, including experience creating queries. Experience writing code (e.g. R or python scripts) to evaluate and report the status and trends in scientific data. Experience developing technical requirements to guide data collection, data-quality management, data processing, or automated reporting applications/tools. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. When combining specialized experience and graduate education, only units in excess of the first two years (36 semester hours or equivalent) may be used to meet the educational requirement. To combine education and experience, first divide your total months of qualifying specialized experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond two years (36 semester hours) by 18. Add the two percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. -OR- To Qualify for a GS-12: Specialized Experience: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience must include all the experience listed to qualify for the GS-11 and all the following: Experience analyzing large and/or complex datasets using advanced quantitative, statistical, or computer-science skills. Experience publishing in the scientific peer-reviewed literature, preferably as lead author. Experience implementing advanced analytical, computational, and/or predictive modeling tools, monitoring protocols, database protocols, and quality assurance and control (QAQC) plans, as well as providing oversight to interns or volunteers. For more information on qualifying education or on combining education and experience see OPM Qualification Standards linked below: Individual Occupational Requirements for Biologist Series, 0401 Individual Occupational Requirements for Ecologist Series, 0408 Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions found here: Group Coverage Qualification Standards 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. CTAP/ICTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking I/CTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) - CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 - ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level & duty location.

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 Pacific West Regional Office, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12 Interim Office 909 First Avenue, Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98104 US
• Name: Linda OSullivan
• Phone: (360) 565-3030
• Email: [email protected]