Biological Science Technician (Plants)(Seasonal)

National Park Service•Crescent City, CA

About 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. These seasonal positions may last six months, with dates varying by park, weather, project needs, and funding. The defined seasons listed are March–October for Klamath Network; April–October for Olympic National Park, Sierra Nevada Network, and Yosemite National Park; May–October for Lassen Volcanic National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks; and May–November for North Cascades National Park. Likely entry on duty is March–May 2027. The role manages invasive plants and restores disturbed sites; collects, propagates, maintains, and plants native species; supports nursery operations; develops work plans; manages and analyzes vegetation data; coordinates and trains vegetation staff and partners; monitors management actions; and conducts vegetation sampling, including in remote wilderness. GS-09 duties add technical leadership of complex invasive-plant work, development of propagation methods and management protocols, analytical reporting and partner coordination, forest-plot data collection, and planning and leading multi-day backcountry field trips. Work is partially sedentary but often involves prolonged standing, walking, and bending, and routinely lifting and carrying packs and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds. Work takes place in an office, laboratory, and field settings, with exposure to extreme weather and terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, wild animals, and potentially hazardous laboratory chemicals. Backcountry travel is approximately 10–21 days per month and includes multi-day trips, mountainous terrain, and stream crossings. Positions may require on-call, evening, weekend, holiday, overtime, or shift work; operating vehicles; pesticide or herbicide handling; and wearing a uniform. Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
Appointment is subject to a background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Males must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
Must participate in the Direct Deposit Electronic Funds Transfer Program.
Must be at least 18 years old to operate government vehicles; a valid driver's license is required when operating a government or private motor vehicle for official duties.
May be required to obtain a Class A or B Commercial Driver's License.
May be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
May be required to handle or apply pesticides and/or herbicides.
May be required to complete training and obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
Must meet the stated minimum age and education or student-employment conditions: at least 18 years old, or at least 16 and meeting one of the listed high-school, vocational-training, school-authority, or enrolled-student conditions.
For GS-08, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, such as native-plant nursery work, site rehabilitation, native seed collection or planting, vegetation surveys and mapping, invasive-plant management, or crew work in revegetation and vegetation management.
For GS-09, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08, such as producing containerized plants, leading rehabilitation or field surveys, managing vegetation data, leading invasive-plant crews or vegetation research and monitoring projects, and training staff; alternatively, two years of progressively higher-level graduate education toward a directly related master's or equivalent degree; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Education used to qualify must be supported by transcripts; foreign education must be evaluated as specified in the announcement.
Resume must not exceed two single-sided pages and must clearly document duties, employment dates, and hours worked; only the resume submitted in the designated Resume section is used for qualification and rating purposes.
All qualifications must be met by the announcement closing date of October 26, 2026.

Responsibilities

Manage invasive plant populations and restore disturbed sites using established standards and, when needed, experimental methods.
Collect, clean, and store native plant materials for propagation, seeding, and transplanting; manage and inventory nursery materials and plants; and provide post-planting care.
Produce containerized plants from seed collections and cuttings and maintain plant materials received from government cooperators and private growers.
Develop annual nursery and plant-propagation work plans based on restoration priorities, species lists, and quantities established by a supervisor.
Manage and analyze data using spreadsheet, database, statistical, and GIS software.
Develop seasonal and weekly work plans for vegetation staff and partners in coordination with a supervisor; set daily schedules and train staff in work protocols.
Collect field data to monitor vegetation-management actions, update protocols as needed, and complete required reporting.
Conduct vegetation sampling in remote wilderness settings.
At GS-09, execute complex invasive-plant management operations and provide technical leadership in species identification, monitoring, mapping, treatments, protocol and safety compliance, and treatment-effectiveness evaluation.
At GS-09, develop field and greenhouse propagation techniques for native species through literature review, consultation, and experimentation as needed.
At GS-09, develop outyear work plans, prepare analytical reports, develop vegetation-management protocols, and coordinate with partners on resource-management strategies.
At GS-09, collect scientifically credible forest-plot data following established procedures and within a defined scope.
At GS-09, plan and execute multi-day backcountry data-collection trips and lead crews, prioritizing safety and scientific validity while making field decisions aligned with safety and project goals.