Hello Ecolog, The National Park Services Northeast Temperate Network Inventory and Monitoring program (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/) is seeking to fill a hydrologic technician position (GS-6, $16.73/hr; or GS-7, $18.59/hour) to lead water quality monitoring in 10 northeastern parks. The expected open period for applications is March 7 through March 11, 2011; applicants should search for the position at http://www.usajobs.gov using the announcement number GETT-11-40DEU, and follow the directions on the web site to apply. If you have difficulty finding the position during the open period, please contact Brian Mitchell (brian_mitch...@nps.gov) for updated information.
The technician will conduct monthly sampling, from April through October each year, which includes stream flow, water chemistry, and collection of samples for nutrient analysis. The technician will be collocated with the NPS Northeast Region hydrologist at the USGS NY Water Science Center in Troy, NY, and will travel to parks for approximately two weeks per month. The parks include the beginning and end of the Revolutionary War (Minute Man NHP and Saratoga NHP respectively) and a strategic military location for General George Washington (Morristown NHP), honor the lives of artists (Saint-Gaudens NHS and Weir Farm NHS), focus on conservation history and the evolving nature of land stewardship (Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP), and pay tribute to the lives of the "Gilded Age" (Roosevelt-Vanderbilt NHS). The incumbent will work closely with Acadia NP water monitoring staff, including periodic trainings and exchanges with Acadia staff. Acadia is the only National Park in New England, and hosts a diverse array of cultural, natural, and geologic resources with altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,530 feet. This is a career-seasonal position that is permanent with a full-time work schedule. The position is seasonal in nature and does not provide for employment on a full-time year-round basis. As a career-seasonal employee, regulations require that you will work or be in a pay status at least 13 pay periods and generally not more than 25 pay periods in any service year (there are 26 bi-weekly pay periods annually). When your employment services are not required at certain times due to lack of work, lack of funds, or weather conditions, you will be placed in a non-work and non-pay status. This position is expected to have a non-pay status annually in the range of 7 pay periods (14 weeks) to 11 pay periods (22 weeks). The New York Capital District (Cities of Troy, Albany, and Schenectady) sits along the historic Hudson and Mohawk Rivers and has served as the hub for New York State government since 1797. Albany County, which is a mix of urban and rural communities, houses approximately 300,000 people and the greater Capital-Saratoga Region supports just under 1 million residents. The District is home to more than 15 colleges and universities, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, SUNY at Albany, Albany Law, Medical and Pharmacy Colleges, Sienna and Union. Music, art, and entertainment are provided through diverse venues including Pepsi Arena, Troy Music Hall, The Egg, Palace Theatre, Proctors, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the NYS Museum, and myriad eateries. The area enjoys four seasons and opportunities to experience them in the nearby Adirondack, Catskill, and Berkshire Mountains. Additionally, the District is within 2-3 hours of New York City, Boston, and Montreal. Albany International Airport, Amtrak Railway, interstates, and buses provide transportation options. The Capital District includes a diverse demographic and ample opportunities for worship with multiple denominations represented in the area. Key Requirements: Valid State Drivers License You must be a U.S. Citizen. Background and/or Security Investigation required Sufficiently fit to perform physical labor. Requires wearing the National Park Service uniform Major Duties: The incumbent is responsible for water monitoring at pond and stream sites in 10 parks and 6 Northeastern states. The work will include taking monthly field measurements (April October) of water quality parameters such as pH, conductivity, temperature, clarity, dissolved oxygen, and water quantity (lake water level, stream discharge) in park ponds and streams; collecting water samples from ponds and streams for chemical analysis at contract labs, and potentially collecting samples of benthic stream macroinvertebrates. The incumbent is responsible for annual geomorphic habitat assessments, as well as invasive plant surveys at pond sites. The position also involves calibrating and maintaining equipment in the field and lab, conducting simple laboratory analyses, entering information into electronic databases and spreadsheets, and compiling and analyzing information for use in interim and annual reports. The incumbent will typically be working with untrained volunteers or park staff who will assist with sampling, but may also conduct sampling alone. The incumbent may occasionally collaborate or communicate with other state, federal and private cooperators or researchers working with the park on monitoring programs or research investigations with air, water, wildlife, vegetation, and other resource programs. This position requires use of a variety of vehicles, equipment, and watercraft to conduct these activities, and requires regular travel (approximately 2 weeks per month). Physical Demands: The incumbent will regularly need to conduct activities outside which will often entail standing, bending, lifting and carrying heavy objects, and hiking over rough terrain and steep slopes. Field protocols may require some sampling to be conducted in areas of heavy poison ivy and high densities of biting insects; during hot, humid, wet and/or windy weather, and/or wintertime conditions. Thanks! Brian Mitchell Inventory and Monitoring Program Manager Northeast Temperate Network National Park Service 54 Elm Street Woodstock, VT 05091 802-457-3368 x37
