Meteorological Technician

Duties

Summary

Temporary not-to-exceed positions may be terminated sooner or extended depending on management needs.

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for this position is November to April, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Employees may start work as early as October.

Responsibilities

Conducts field work to include snow stability tests, records snowpack observations, interprets and evaluates raw data dealing with snow stability, collects atmospheric and weather information, and maintenance of remote specialized weather stations.

In the event of avalanche accidents or fatalities, may participate in rescue operations and will aid in the preparation of reports.

Aids in the preparation of daily regional avalanche forecasts.

Conducts avalanche education and outreach efforts to the public and park and partner employees.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

None

• Job family (Series)

  1341 Meteorological Technician

• Requirements

  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.
  • Selectee must possess Wilderness First Responder certification by enter on duty date.
  • 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.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • 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

  SELECTIVE FACTORS: Due to the technical nature of avalanche science the position requires certification at the Avalanche level III or equivalent. Candidates who do not meet these requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

  - AND -

  To qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualification by close of the announcement:

  Experience: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: measuring meteorological phenomena with scientific equipment and instrumentation; conducting field snow stability tests and observations; evaluating weather maps, products, and data for determining avalanche forecasts; observing and recording atmospheric characteristics, i.e., temperature, air movement, visibility, pressure, air density, cloud types; decoding, plotting, and systematically recording data related to the physical characteristics of the atmosphere, i.e., charts, diagrams, cross sections; or collecting, analyzing, interpreting, adjusting, and verifying atmospheric and other meteorological data to confirm and improve accuracy and efficacy.
  - OR -

  Education: successful completion of one full year of graduate level education with a major study in a related field such as atmospheric science, meteorology, or other fields of study directly related to the position

  - OR -

  A combination of experience and education listed above.

  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.
  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".

  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

  Area Information: Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway in northwestern Wyoming preserve a spectacular landscape. The park encompasses the Teton Range and broad valley of Jackson Hole. Majestic peaks, wild canyons, piedmont lakes, forests, sagebrush meadows and the Snake River combine into one of the most scenic settings anywhere in North America. With 333,000 combined acres, the parks are at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world. Additionally, the park includes a wide array of cultural resources, including 318 historic structures, two national historic landmarks and over 300 archeological sites. Grand Teton is one of the most visited national parks in the country.

  This position is located in Moose, WY. Services are available in the neighboring town of Jackson, a small, recreation focused community of 10,000 year round residents. The town caters to four million tourists every summer, has an excellent hospital, well-respected school system, grocery stores, restaurants, and seasonal festivals. Outdoor activities abound including hiking, camping, backpacking, horseback riding, boating, biking, fishing, skiing, and mountaineering. Summer temperatures range between 65 - 80 degrees. Winter temperatures range from 30 degrees to below zero with heavy snow.

  Government housing may be available.

  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 or 1730 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.

  If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=AlternateApplicationInformation.

  How You Will Be Evaluated

  You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

  You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

  Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

  You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Communications and Media

  • Decision Making

  • Technical Competence

  Background checks and security clearance

  Security clearance

  Not Required

  Drug test required

  No

  Position sensitivity and risk

  Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

  Trust determination process

  Suitability/Fitness

• Required Documents

  Required Documents

  The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/21/2021:

  • Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
  • Complete All Required Assessments.
  • Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
    • Veterans Preference Documentation:
      • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
      • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
      • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.

  • Documentation you meet Selective Placement Factor - copy of Avalanche Level III Certification or equivalent.
  • College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
  • Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
  Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
  Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• Benefits

  Benefits

  A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Help

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• The public

  U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.