Physical Science Technician

Summary

You will serve as a Physical Science Technician with the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, Lake Champlain Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office, located in Essex Junction, VT. GS-08 - $57,023 - $74,127

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:
Works in collaboration with fishery biologists and biological technicians in planning, preparing, and participating in sea lamprey control efforts in the Lake Champlain Basin. Maintaining the specialized equipment, instruments, and gear used to conduct lampricide treatments. Preparing for lampricide treatments through management of chemical inventory, safety assurance, and pre-treatment water chemistry analyses. Applying lampricides in multiple formulations as a certified pesticide applicator in the states of New York and Vermont.

Monitoring chemical treatments through physical water chemistry analyses (pH, DO, conductivity, alkalinity), bioassay tests, physical analyses including spectrophotometry, chromatography, measurement of stream discharge, and collection of biological specimens as indicators. Using software packages (AGOL, Arc Pro, MSAccess, MSExcel) to manage, record, and summarize, and extract technical data.

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. 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://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. You are required to obtain and maintain a Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) within 6 months.

Must possess and maintain a Certified Pesticide Applicator License within 6 months. 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 period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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…