Interdisciplinary - Natural Resources Specialist / Physical Scientist

U.S. Department of the Interior; Yosemite Lodge (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uniform allowance

Job summary

The Interdisciplinary - Natural Resources Specialist / Physical Scientist position with the National Park Service, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, focuses on planning, measuring, and describing resource conditions in the park.

Responsibilities include collecting air and water quality data, climate science, contaminated lands management, and supporting fire management programs. Applicants must submit transcripts, be a U.S.

Qualifications

• Must submit transcript(s) to support education claims.
• U.S. Citizen or National required.
• Duties are developmental below full performance level.

Responsibilities

• Collects environmental data (air/water/climate) and records observations.
• Maintains computer records and databases.
• Operates and inventories field equipment; analyzes data and prepares reports.

Skills

Data collection

Data analysis

Record keeping

Field data collection

Education

Transcript submission

Tools

Environmental sampling equipment

Surveying equipment

Database management

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Interdisciplinary - Natural Resources Specialist / Physical Scientist with National Park Service. This position is responsible for planning, developing, measuring, analyzing, and describing resource conditions within the Park such as air quality, water quality, climate science, contaminated lands management, and other physical or environmental science matters as needed. The position supports the fire management program as well.

Major Duties

• Collects various types of environmental data which includes air quality, water quality, climate science, contaminated lands, soundscapes, light pollution meteorology and climatology.
• Records observations of fluctuations that may affect the interpretation of the data.
• Accesses and maintains computer records and databases.
• Inputs and retrieves data, runs program, and organizes automated record keeping systems.
• Operates, adjusts, maintains, and inventories surveying and environmental sampling and field equipment.
• Recognizes gaps or inconsistencies in the information; evaluates and compares previous records to develop the necessary changes to correct problems.
• Prepares preliminary interpretive reports relating to individual environmental study assignments, including drafts, maps, and other illustrative material requiring judgment and experience.
• Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications Applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service. To be acceptable, the foreign credential evaluation must include/describe: The type of education received by the applicant; The level of education in relation to the U.S. education system, and state that its comparability recommendations follow the general guidelines of the International Education Standards Council; The content of the applicant's educational program earned abroad and the standard obtained; The status of the awarding foreign school's recognition and legitimacy in its home country's education system; and Any other information of interest such as what the evaluation service did to obtain this information, the qualifications of thee valuator, and any indications as to other problems such as forgery. Foreign credential evaluations that do not contain the above information or that state there is insufficient information provided by the applicant on which to base an evaluation should not be accepted. If the requested evaluation shows the foreign education to be legitimate and comparable to that expected of a candidate with U.S. credentials, it may be accepted at the discretion of the agency.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards.
• A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
• This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized.
• In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.
• Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Evaluations

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. 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. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Information Management Knowledge Management Organizational Awareness Research To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review.These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in your application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP). To be considered under CTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

What to Expect Next

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. You can find your path with the Department of Interior at https://careers.doi.gov/. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) -11/12/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessment(s). Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor dated within the past 18 months. If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration. All College Transcript(s) Eligibility Documentation: Current NPS employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): you must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH Competitive time-limited appointment (block 34, code 1); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of employment claimed, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. If not currently employed by agency, you must have been most recently separated by the hiring Bureau (NPS). Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Salary Range Information: GS-9: $62,033 - $80,648 GS-11: $75,055 - $97,577 Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor. All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior. Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, stooping, and bending often required. Heavy items (e.g., equipment up to 50 pounds) must be lifted or moved on a routine basis. Work Environment: Work is performed in both an office setting, which is typically well lighted and ventilated, and in the field, where the incumbent may encounter adverse weather conditions, steep or uneven terrain, and other nuisances. The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. This is an interdisciplinary position. Position may be filled as: Natural Resources Specialist, GS-0401 -OR- Physical Scientist, GS-1301