The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is May but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: July 2025
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/27/2025-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. 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.
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.