Outreach Notice
Vegetation Coordinator
Forester, GS-09/11


USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station,
Forest Inventory & Analysis
Knoxville, Tennessee


About the Position: The Southern Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Unit intends to fill a GS-401-9/11 Biological Scientist, Vegetation Coordinator position located in Knoxville, TN. The position is within the Southern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis (SRS FIA) Research Work Unit. The mission of the SRS FIA unit is to improve the understanding of southern forest ecosystems through inventory and analyses of the status and trends in resource conditions, use, productivity and sustainability and to conduct research to provide improved technology for timely and accurate resource inventories. The program conducts inventories of forestlands across all land ownerships. FIA is a multi-million dollar research program that provides comprehensive, timely, and accurate analyses of the changing forest resource situation in the South in collaboration with State Foresters from 13 Southern States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The person chosen to occupy this position will serve as the Vegetation Coordinator for the SRS FIA Research Work Unit. The incumbent will serve as a regional expert for the Vegetation Diversity and Structure Indicator, Invasive Plants Data Collection protocols and other botanically related inventories as needed. They will also consult on the data collection methods and procedures for these programs at both a regional and national level. In addition, the incumbent will coordinate vegetation data collection logistics, conduct hiring and training, assist with analysis of Vegetation Indicator data, and serve as the primary Quality Assurance representative for the Vegetation Diversity and Structure Indicator, as well as provide technical and administrative supervision for up to 14 seasonal employees. The incumbent will also serve as an integral member of the training group within the Data Acquisition section which oversees data collection and field training for FIA in the Southern Region.


For more information about the FIA program, see the following Internet websites:
http://fia.fs.fed.us/
http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/

Salary Range: $47,448 to $74,628 depending on the selected applicant’s qualifications.

Qualifications Required: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply, have appropriate college coursework, and commensurate experience. In addition to basic qualifications, applications may be screened for several of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities which may include:
knowledge of the principles, concepts and practices of botany;
ability to communicate in writing, including technical publications;
ability to communicate orally such as technical presentations before scientific and lay organizations;
design, plan and implement vegetative diversity and structure inventories as part of a statewide forest resource inventory

About Knoxville: Knoxville is located in eastern Tennessee and sits at the head of the Tennessee River navigation channel. Three interstate highways converge in Knoxville: I‑40, I‑75, and I‑81. Knoxville provides easy access (30 minutes) to the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. The University of Tennessee (UT) is located in Knoxville, and the Southern FIA program and the UT Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries are engaged in cooperative research. The average temperature for the year is 56 degrees with four distinct seasons. The Knoxville area houses an abundance of technical expertise and research skills and is ranked 15th in the nation according to the “Best Places Almanac.” There are more than 5,000 engineers, 2,400 scientists and 2,000 Ph.D.’s employed in the Knoxville/Oak Ridge area. There is no state personal income tax on wages or salary. Health care, housing and other living costs are well below the national average, and the crime rate is some 25% below the national average for cities of similar size. For more information about the Knoxville area, the following websites may be of use to you:

http://www.knoxvilletennessee.com/
http://www.goknox.com/
http://www.knoxnews.com/
http://www.knoxvillechamber.com/

For more information contact:

Angie Rowe
Training Supervisor for Data Acquisition
USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis
4700 Old Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919
(865) 862-2052
Email: krowe@fs.fed.us


This is just a pre-announcement. When the position is advertised, the announcement will be posted on the Office of Personnel Management web site: www.usajobs.opm.gov. The announcement will contain all of the information you need to apply for the position.


USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider


Outreach Response Form
USDA Forest Service
Southern Research Station

I am interested in the position and will call or email the contact person, in addition to checking http://www.usajobs.opm.gov for the position announcement.


Position Title/Series/Grade: Biologist, GS-09/11
Location: Knoxville, TN