Biological Science Technician (General)(Seasonal)

National Park Service; El Portal (CA); On-site; USD 24,000 - 43,000; Part time

Job summary

National Park Service seeks Biological Science Technician (General) for seasonal field work in California. Positions support monitoring and protecting natural resources, with duties ranging from surveys and data collection to equipment operation and project coordination.

Open to multiple seasonal periods; precise schedule depends on park and funding; resumes must clearly show duties, dates, and hours worked.

Qualifications

• Specialized experience for GS-07 includes planning and implementing resource management projects.
• Graduate education in botany, ecology, wildlife biology, or related field may satisfy qualification
• For substitutions, education plus experience must total 100% of requirements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct surveys and monitoring of natural resources, including plants, wildlife, aquatic resources, and habitats.
• Collect biological and environmental data and specimens using established field methods and equipment.
• Record and maintain project data using GPS, GIS, and data-management tools.
• Organize, enter, and maintain natural resource project data.
• For GS-07: coordinate and lead natural resource field projects and provide guidance to staff or volunteers.

Skills

Fieldwork experience

Data collection

Record-keeping

Education

Master's degree in botany/ecology

Graduate study in related field

Tools

GPS

GIS

Job description

Biological Science Technician (General)(Seasonal)

• Schedule: Work schedule is dependent on the position.

Biological Science Technicians perform field and technical work to monitor, manage, and protect natural resources, including plants, wildlife, aquatic resources, and their habitats. Likely Entry on Duty: March - May 2027. Open to the first 400 applicants.

Key Responsibilities

These positions may be filled for a six month seasonal period, but can be vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.

Defined Season per Park: March - August: Mojave Desert Network March - October: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Olympic National Park, Yosemite National Park April - September: Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve April - October: Sierra Nevada Netework April - November: Pinnacles National Park Some of the Biological Science Technician (General) Standard Duties include but are not limited to: Conduct surveys and monitoring of natural resources, including plants, wildlife, aquatic resources, habitats, and other ecological conditions.

Collect biological and environmental data and specimens using established field methods, protocols, and equipment. Record and maintain project data using Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and other data-management technology. Organize, enter, and maintain natural resource project data.

Additional duties for GS-05: You may implement established natural resource monitoring and management projects; collect, organize, and summarize field data; and assist in the preparation of reports and project documentation.

Additional duties for GS-06: You may independently conduct natural resource monitoring and management activities using established methods; operate and maintain specialized field equipment; organize and evaluate project data; and assist with project implementation, data analysis, and preparation of reports and plans.

Additional duties for GS-07: You may coordinate and lead natural resource field projects and provide technical guidance to field staff, interns, and/or volunteers.

You may organize, schedule, and execute established natural resource monitoring and management projects; train personnel in resource identification, field methods, data and sample collection, mapping, and equipment use; ensure quality control of field data; evaluate and summarize project results; and prepare draft project reports and recommendations. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience.

To receive credit for experience, your 2 page 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.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors.

The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards.

Requirements & Education

QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED: To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess one of the following: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sector). Specialized experience is experience that equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

Examples of specialized experience include: Assisting in planning and implementation of resource management plant, wildlife, and fisheries censuses and surveys; using statistical methods and procedures to perform testing of field data collected; installing, operating, and maintaining resource management equipment (tools, sampling and monitoring, photographic, and laboratory equipment); preparing graphs, charts, and illustrations for reports and technical publications relating to plant management activities; organizing, scheduling, and executing a wide variety of established natural resource management projects; and planning field projects, choose possible courses of action at different stages of each project.

-OR- B. Successfully completed one full year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level course work, from an accredited college or university, leading to a Master's degree with a major study directly related to the position to be filled. Graduate study must have been in a field of study that is directly related to the work of this position such as: botany, forest ecology, silviculture, plant ecology, as wildlife biology, zoology, ornithology. -OR- C.

Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined. For example, six (6) months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement) combined with one year of education as outlined above (50% of the education above), along with 50% of the course-specific education stated above.

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 the interpretation of foreign education programs and that (1) deemed your education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program, or (2) given full credit for courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

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.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $17.45 - 31.43/hr.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-26.

What is the work schedule?

This is a Work schedule is dependent on the position. position.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Transition' hiring path.