What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position? Salary for GS-12: $86,962 (Step 01) to $113,047 (Step 10) Salary for GS-13: $103,409 (Step 01) to $134,435 (Step 10) NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

Duties

This position is a Principal Investigator at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. The scientist develops and implements innovative research on grassland ecosystems, sustainable reconstruction and restoration of plant communities, the plant materials needed to complete those restorations, and the variety of ecosystem services they provide. The geographical emphasis is the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest. The objective of the research is to develop new approaches and provide scientific support for natural resource managers to address issues related to grassland restoration and management. Along with conducting new field studies, the scientist will synthesize and analyze existing data to develop decision support tools regarding grassland restoration and management. The scientist must be interested in collaborative research to address applied, conservation-relevant questions. As a Research Ecologist within the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, some of your specific duties will include:

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Ecologist, all grade levels. A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours or the equivalent in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours or the equivalent in ecology, and 12 semester hours or the equivalent in physical and mathematical sciences. For GS-12: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-12 level: **One year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology, biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Examples of GS-11 level work may include: conduct management decision-relevant research on vegetation of the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest; experience with elements of experimental design, quantitative ecology, plant ecology, adaptive management, decision analysis and support, data analytics, and statistics; work with teams and partners to conduct quantitative analysis of complex ecological data sets; use quantitative methods, modeling, and appropriate computer software to analyze large data sets to investigate relations among ecological variables, management actions, and ecological system drivers for grasslands; collaborate with natural resource managers, administrators, and scientists in a team setting to translate research results into practical applications and methods for the study, monitoring, and management of grassland ecosystems; interpret and communicate results of analyses to inform management actions; communicate results to technical and non-technical audiences; and present results at regional and national scientific meetings, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals. *OR* a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a directly related field of study, *OR* a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, that is beyond the second year of graduate study and professional experience, as described above. For GS-13: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-13 level: **One year of appropriate specialized experience that is in ecology, biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Examples of GS-12 level work may include: lead management decision-relevant research on vegetation of the Northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest; experience with elements of experimental design, quantitative ecology, plant ecology, adaptive management, decision analysis and support, data analytics, and statistics; lead teams and partners in conducting quantitative analysis of complex ecological data sets; plan, lead, and interpret results of ecological research projects that use quantitative methods and modeling to investigate relations among ecological variables, management actions, and ecological system drivers for grasslands; develop novel analyses of complex data and synthetic analyses that address management- or conservation - relevant questions; submit research proposals for funding; work with natural resource managers, administrators, and scientists in a team setting to translate research results into practical applications and methods for the study, monitoring, and management of grassland ecosystems; interpret; communicate results of complex analyses to inform management actions and communicating results to technical and non-technical audiences; present results at regional and national scientific meetings and publish in peer-reviewed journals. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

• 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 completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:https://www.usgs.gov/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs

Contacts

• Address NORTHERN PRAIRIE WILDLIFE RES CTR 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Mail Stop 600 Reston, VA 20192 US
• Name: Terri Cooper
• Phone: 703-648-7417
• Email: [email protected]