Research Biologist
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
Summary
About the Position: Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Environmental Laboratory (EL) in Vicksburg, MS
The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is one of the most diverse engineering and scientific research organizations in the world. Website: http://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/
Visit Vicksburg and discover one of the best kept secrets in the South where the community is committed to excellence. Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce website: http://www.vicksburgchamber.org
Overview
- Accepting applications
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Open & closing dates
08/16/2024 to 08/26/2024
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Salary
$39,576 - $94,317 per year
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Pay scale & grade
DB 2
- Help
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
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Remote job
No
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Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
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Appointment type
Permanent
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Work schedule
Full-time
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Service
Competitive
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Promotion potential
4
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Job family (Series)
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Supervisory status
No
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Security clearance
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Drug test
No
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Position sensitivity and risk
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Trust determination process
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Financial disclosure
No
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Bargaining unit status
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Announcement number
CERG241563965054
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Control number
805220400
This job is open to
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
- Federal employees - Competitive service
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
- Individuals with disabilities
- Land & base management
Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
- Veterans
Clarification from the agency
See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.
Videos
Duties
- Organize and complete ecological, biological or forestry studies in coastal ecosystems, wetland ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems and in the laboratory.
- Research projects may include studies detailing the benefits of ecosystem restoration, assessments of ecosystem functions and impacts of invasive species on ecosystems.
- Perform ecological site assessments including inventories of flora or fauna, and assessments of wetland vegetation, hydrology, and soils.
- Laboratory activities utilizing mesocosms and analytical equipment to investigate ecosystem processes in a controlled setting, and sample processing and analysis will be accomplished using standard analytical techniques.
- Manage field and laboratory data using spreadsheets or databases, assist with planning studies and conducting basic analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and maintain equipment used to conduct wetlands research.
- Assist with the preparation of technical reports and peer reviewed journal articles, based on the results of the ecological studies and will have opportunities to report study results at scientific conferences, workshops and other venues.
- Responsible for preparing documents either as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or Government Purchase Card (GPC) or to assist with the preparation of acquisition documents.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 10% of the time.
- Appointment to this position is subject to a two- year probationary period.
- A valid US Driver's License is required.
Qualifications
- Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
- Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
- Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
- Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
- Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
- Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
- People with Disabilities, Schedule A
- Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
- Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
- Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
- Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
- Reinstatement
- Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998
Basic Education Requirements for Research Biologist
A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
- Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
- Communications
- Computer Skills
All qualification requirements, including time after competitive appointment, must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
This position is covered by the Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Project at the DB-2 (equivalent to GS-05 to GS-11) target to the DB-04 (equivalent to GS-12 to GS-14) level. In accordance with the Federal Register Vol.63, No. 57, dated March 25, 1998, Laboratory Demonstration Project employees must have a current average performance score of at least 2.5 or equivalent (fully successful rating) for promotion consideration.
Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
- Two-year trial/probationary period may be required.
- Direct deposit of pay is required.
- Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
- If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
- This is a(n) 16 Career Field (CF) Engineer and Scientists (Non construction) position.
- Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
- Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
- Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
- This position is Non Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.1. Your resume:
- Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
- For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
- For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
- Cover Letter, optional
- Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
- Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
- This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on August 26, 2024 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12515054).
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Agency contact information
- Address
- RG-W03GAA US ARMY ENGR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMT CTR
DO NOT MAIL
Vicksburg, MS 39183
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.