Biological Science Information Specialist
EMPLOYMENT OUTREACH NOTICE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOREST SERVICE
NORTHERN RESEARCH STATION
The Northern Research Station plans to advertise the following 13-month TERM position renewable up to 4 years. Please circulate this outreach notice to as many potential candidates as possible; we are seeking a diverse pool of qualified applicants. Anticipated start date is December 2020.
Biological Science Information Specialist
GS-0401-11
(TERM appointment)
Rhinelander, Wisconsin
The successful candidate will be a member of an interdisciplinary team of geneticists, forest and wildlife ecologists, landscape ecologists, and spatial modelers that develop and deliver scientific knowledge and tools that integrate ecological changes and resource management across scales and disturbance gradients with sustaining forests, restoring landscapes, and conserving natural resources. Starting annual salary is $64,000 plus health, life, and retirement investment benefits.
ABOUT THIS POSITION
The incumbent will be an integral member of an interdisciplinary research-management team conducting novel research on developing large-scale climate adaptive silvicultural strategies to save at-risk boreal wildlife species, specifically improving moose habitat in the near-term while also planning for future forest conditions in a changing climate. The incumbent will be responsible for manipulating and analyzing geospatial data to support research associated with spatially detailed ecological landscape models, specifically LANDIS-II, including coding, calibrating, aligning, regulating and substantiating models. The successful candidate will have opportunities to contribute to the development, testing and improvement of new model capabilities within LANDIS-II for use in the moose habitat study and other model applications.
We are looking for candidates with (1) Knowledge of geospatial technology as related to simulation modeling; (2) Knowledge of various programming and scripting languages such as C#, Python, R, Windows API, including modular design, programming best practices, testing, debugging, version control and maintenance; (3) Knowledge of general concepts, practices, and methods of the biological sciences sufficient to interpret, evaluate, and identify forest ecosystems.
To express interest in this position, please send an email to deahn.donnerwright@usda.gov by October 9th. All interested persons will be sent a link to the positions once it is advertised on www.USAJOBS.gov.
ABOUT THE NORTHERN RESEARCH STATION
The Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, serves a 20-state region composed of the Northeast and Midwest. Headquartered in Madison WI, the Station improves people’s lives and sustains natural resources through research and development. The Northern Research Station has more than 400 employees, including 134 scientists, at 24 field locations and 22 Experimental Forests. The Station develops practical solutions while advancing fundamental science. Guiding the Station’s research are the science themes of Forest Disturbance Processes, Sustaining Forests, Providing Clean Air and Water, Urban Natural Resource Stewardship, and Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment. Interested candidates can discover more about the Northern Research Station at www.nrs.fs.fed.us/.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
Rhinelander, WI (Home of the Hodag; pop. 7,798) is in the heart of Wisconsin’s northwoods and lake country. The city is surrounded by national, state, and county parks and forests that provide multiple recreational opportunities year-round such as boating, fishing, camping, mountain-biking, and hiking activities in the summer months to snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice-fishing in the winter months (www.travelwisconsin.com/northeast). Rhinelander is surrounded by 232 lakes within 15 minutes of downtown and is known as the “Ice Fishing Capital of the World”.
With the surrounding townships and nearby towns of Eagle River and Minocqua, the greater Rhinelander area has a population of over 40,000, and residents commute among these three towns for employment opportunities, shopping, and medical facilities (Ascension St. Mary’s Clinic and Hospital, Aspirus Clinic). The City of Wausau (population ~50,000) is an hour away and where many residents go for specialized health care, major shopping centers, employment opportunities, and higher educational opportunities.
The Nicolet Area Technical College is located just south of Rhinelander. The college offers associate degrees, certificates, apprenticeship programs, and continuing education courses as well as a University Transfer Liberal Arts program. It is one of only three state technical colleges offering both occupational training and university-level liberal arts education. For dual career families, it offers faculty and staff opportunities. Just west of Rhinelander is the Oneida County Airport serviced by Delta has several flights arriving and departing each day to connections out of Minneapolis airport. The larger Central Wisconsin airport is just south of Wausau and is serviced by three major airlines. Rhinelander’s median house value in 2016 was $90,126, rent was $770, and resident age was 40.
Additional information about Rhinelander and neighboring cities can be found at:
www.rhinelanderchamber.com