Summary The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is April-May, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2025 Open to the first 50 applicants or until 01/17/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Chase County, just north of Strong City, Kansas. Administrative offices are located adjacent to the Preserve Visitor Center, about two miles north of Strong City, Kansas. Chase County is rural and lightly populated. Major groceries, medical and dental services are located in Emporia, Kansas (20 miles distant). Public schools are located in Cottonwood Falls and Strong City; a state university is located in Emporia. Climate is considered moderate, with average precipitation of over 30", summer high temperatures 80-100° F, winter low temperatures 10-20° F. NO PARK HOUSING IS AVAILABLE. Rentals and houses for sale are limited in Chase County but plentiful in Emporia. Work individually and with others to coordinate range management activities on native and disturbed lands on the preserve. Invasive plant management includes following the National Park Services guidelines for Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM work will be coordinated with other park staff, and the Exotic Plant Management Team. Document native and non-native plant species and locations, identifying best treatment methods based on species and location, documenting chemical and mechanical plant treatments using GPS, GIS and database equipment for use in compiling an annual report. Utilize a variety of equipment including chainsaws, spray equipment, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), UTV's, and 4x4 vehicles. Observe natural and range resource conditions, collect, record, and analyze data, prepare reports, and identify common wildlife and vegetation and provide this information to park staff and assist with citizen science events. Physical Demands: The work ranges from sedentary when completing duties in the office to frequent field work requiring a considerable amount of walking, riding, stooping, bending, and lifting. Working Conditions: Office work is performed in adequately lighted, heated, and air-conditioned offices. Much of the time is spent in the field where exposure to extremes of heat and cold, rough terrain, insects, snakes, and other hazards are common. The incumbent carefully adheres to all safety procedures to mitigate hazards encountered. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. 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 may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Full-time work schedule. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/17/2025-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. To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Possession of 6 months of General Experience and 6 months of Specialized Experience at the GS-3 Level. General Experience is experience in any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position. General experience may include assisting in the preparation of reports, utilizing computer programs to store and retrieve data, and providing information to others. Specialized Experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized Experience can include activities such as the following: work in the conservation, regulation, and use of public for Federally controlled lands for grazing, range research activities, work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public range, or range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work. Experience in collecting and recording data in range studies, range inventory efforts such as mapping by collecting, compiling, and recording vegetation data, or performs routine and recurring weed management, to remove invasive species. Collects and organizes field data; ensures adequate quality control of data collected. You must include years, months and hours worked per week. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 2 years of study (60 credit hours or 90 quarter hours) that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts. ICTAP/CTAP - Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001). 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. 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 interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Additional Information A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS). If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility. The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.