Department of the Interior

Biological Science Technician (Plants) (Seasonal)

Washington, District of Columbia Full time

Biological Science Technician (Plants) (Seasonal)

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $22.11 - $28.74 Per Hour

Job Summary: These positions are located in National Capital Area Office, in the Invasive Plant Management Team. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for National Capital Area Office is January - July, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: January 2026.

Major Duties:

  • The major duties of the Biological Science Technician (Plants) include but are not limited to: Works on non-native plant management and habitat restoration involving the use of manual removal, mechanical removal, biological control, and pesticide control. Assists with vehicle care, pesticide application, spray equipment repairs, chainsaws operations, fieldwork documentation and data integrity Identifies non-native species of the Mid-Atlantic region and prioritize control based on ecological principles. Assists with maintenance and inventory of equipment used for invasive plant control such as large trucks and trailers. vehicle mounted spray units, backpack sprayers, chainsaws, and brush saws. Collects, analyzes, and summarizes field data related to invasive plant management work.

Qualifications: Requirements Continued... You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/01/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 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. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position requires that the incumbent maintains a pesticide applicator or technician license. Applicants must have previously held or currently hold a pesticide applicator or technician license within any state or US territory. This information must be indicated on your resume or a license information provided in the application attachments. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: participating as a field crew member for invasive plant control projects in remote natural settings or urban parks; identifying target invasive plant species from desirable native plant species; collecting invasive plant control data and records according to standard protocols; assisting with processing of spatial data collected by program staff; surveying and mapping invasive plant populations using GPS handheld devices or mobile devices; handling and applying herbicides; participating in native restoration programs; and recording biological and plant data using computer software programs (such as Microsoft Access, Excel, Word, ArcGIS, or comparable software); assisting with maintenance of equipment used for vegetation control. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of 4 years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in an accredited educational institution (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) which included at least 24 semester hours of scientific or technical courses, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to this position. Examples of directly related education are biology, botany, range science, forestry, ecology, environmental science, zoology, fisheries, animal husbandry, natural resource management or other directly related fields. You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts. You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week. 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.

How to Apply: To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/01/2025. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12831967 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application. Please note, the eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you select. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information. You may choose more than one eligibility.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-01