We are seeking to fill 4 GS-4 Biological Science Technicians (Plants) for the upcoming 2023 summer field season out of the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Columbia, Missouri office. The vacancy announcement is 23-TEMP4-RSRCH-0022-4DT-DM for Biological Science Technician (Plants). The announcement will be posted on USAJobs from 01/12/2023 – 01/19/2023. In order to be considered this summer position, you must complete your application on USAJobs by 1/19/2023 and select Columbia, Missouri as the location.
These four positions will aid in collecting forestry data across several Forest Service, Northern Research Station projects but will primarily be focused on collecting data across three Experimental Forests (EF; Sinkin EF on the Mark Twain National Forest, Kaskaskia EF on the Shawnee National Forest, and the Paoli EF on the Hoosier National Forest). These positions are great first-entry temporary jobs for undergraduates or recent graduates. Travel is required.
If you have any questions about the positions, please do not hesitate to reach out Lauren S. Pile Knapp, PhD (lauren.pile@usda.gov), Research Ecologist.
If you need guidance navigating the USAJobs portal, Dacoda Maddox (dacoda.maddox@usda.gov) has offered his assistance.
Generic Position Description
Introduction
This position is located either in a Research, National Forest or Prairie organization. This position assists scientists or higher-graded technicians with conducting ecological management activities either in a laboratory setting or in forest and/or prairie ecosystems. This position may perform a variety of tasks relating to biological experiments, native plants surveys and monitoring, invasive plant control and monitoring, native plant restoration and pollinator program support. Day- to-day tasks may be more weighted toward one of the major duty categories below or day-to- day tasks may be a mix of the categories below depending on the needs of the unit.
Major Duties
The incumbent may perform any of the following duties based on the specific assignment:
The incumbent performs technical assignments consisting of routine laboratory and/or field experiments that require the use of accepted, standardized laboratory or field practices.
Assists in the acquisition of field data by measuring and recording pertinent biological information peculiar to the specific assignment. The assignment involves performance of a series of related technical tasks, which must be completed according to a predetermined and established routine. Tabulates and orders data as directed and prepares data for computer use.
Assists in the layout of experimental plots by taking measurements and marking corners and boundaries.
Uses botanical key to identify plants encountered during field trips or surveys of Forest areas.
Assists in the collection, handling, and preservation of specimens. All biological data pertinent to collections and preservation are recorded. Assists in maintenance of various collections used in connection with day-to-day research activities.
Observes and records expected responses in experiments and keeps aware of factors and situations included in experiments to ensure against error and to increase the reliability of the results obtained.
