Recruitment Number 208295 - Lihue, Kauai Employment Only - The immediate vacancy is a temporary position.

NOTE: Employees appointed to temporary positions may also gain membership in the civil service upon satisfactory completion of an initial probation period of at least six months. Once you become a member of the civil service, you become eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits afforded to an employee in a permanent position with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force.

Independently perform the full range of activities relative to the identification, protection and enhancement of native plant species and ecosystems; conduct botanical field surveys to locate, identify and determine the quantity, health and distribution of plant species; assess existing and potential threats and habitat requirements; recommend plans for the protection and enhancement of rare, threatened and endangered native plant species; and assess potential impacts of existing and/or proposed uses of the area on native species and determine possible mitigating measures; provide specialized botanical assistance and technical advice to Foresters and others regarding rare, threatened and endangered native plants; and perform other related duties as assigned.

Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Please note that unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently. Your possession of the required amount of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. Overall paid or unpaid experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position. Note: Your calculation of experience must be based on full-time, 40-hour work weeks. Part-time experience must be pro-rated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years.

To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements:

Education: A bachelor's degree from an accredited four year college or university with a major in botany or a closely related field which included courses in general botany and plant morphology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology and plant ecology.

Note: To be creditable, the focus and content of the course must have been substantively devoted to the subject area.

Excess work experience as described below, or any other responsible administrative, professional or analytical work experience which provided knowledge, skills and abilities comparable to those acquired in four years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree with a major in botany or a closely related field may be substituted for Education on a year-for-year basis.

The education or experience must also demonstrate the ability to write clear and comprehensive reports and other documents, read and interpret complex written material, and solve complex problems logically and systematically.

Experience: Two and one-half years of progressively responsible professional work experience in the field of Botany, which demonstrated knowledge of the principles, methods and techniques of botanical scientific analysis and of the following specific areas of Botany: plant anatomy, plant morphology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant pathology, and plant ecology.

Substitutions Allowed:
A. A master's degree in Botany from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one year of Experience.
B. A Ph.D. degree in Botany from an accredited college or university may be substituted for two years of Experience.

License: Applicants must possess a valid driver's license.

Special Requirements: Applicants must be able to distinguish colors, physically endure adverse field and off-trail conditions (insects, etc.), hike through rough terrain, withstand adverse weather conditions (e.g., heat, rain, etc.).

Qualified applicants with disabilities who can perform the essential functions of the position are encouraged to apply. The State of Hawaii is committed to making reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis. Applicants seeking reasonable accommodation should be ready to discuss the accommodation sought so that a determination can be made that such accommodation is reasonable and would not cause the employer undue hardship.

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TESTING INFORMATION
The examination for this recruitment will be conducted on an unassembled basis where the examination score is based on an evaluation and rating of your education and experience. It is therefore important that your employment application provide a clear and detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of each position you held.

CLICK HERE for further information about Equal Employment Opportunity, the Merit Civil Service System, Citizenship and other requirements, Reasonable Accommodation, Veterans Preference, Examination Requirements, and the Internal Complaint and Merit Appeals Board Processes.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Federal and State laws apply to all forms of employment decisions and actions, including pre-employment inquiries. The State of Hawaii is an equal opportunity employer and complies with applicable State and Federal laws relating to employment practices.

MERIT CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM: The employment of persons in the civil service, as defined by State law, is governed by the merit principle. Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirements of the position being sought, including all education, experience, and other public employment requirements for State Civil Service employment. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide complete information. The information submitted may be verified. Applicants must meet the requirements and qualify on appropriate employment related tests to be eligible for employment consideration.

CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT: Applicants must be citizens, permanent resident aliens, or nationals of the United States. Non-citizens with unrestricted employment authorization from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service may also apply.

HAWAII STATE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: Effective July 1, 2007, persons who are non-residents of the State of Hawaii will have thirty (30) days from the date they begin their State employment to become Hawaii residents. While an employee of the State of Hawaii, they must maintain their Hawaii residency.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the position effectively and safely, with or without reasonable accommodation.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: Applicants with special needs should contact our office during business hours at (808) 587-0936 at the time of application. Callers from neighbor islands may call toll-free giving extension number 70936 when prompted: Kauai 273-3141; Maui 984-2400; Hawaii 974-4000; Molokai and Lanai 1-800-468-4644.

LANGUAGE ACCESS ASSISTANCE: All of our written and oral material will be provided to you in English. If you have difficulty understanding, please contact our department’s Language Access Coordinator by telephone at (808) 587-1162 during business hours or write to the Language Access Coordinator, Department of Human Resources Development, 235 S. Beretania Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

VETERANS PREFERENCE POINTS: (Open Competitive Recruitments Only). To receive 5 Veterans Preference Points, an applicant must submit a copy of the DD214 (Member 4) verifying dates of honorable service. To receive 10 Points, submit a copy of an official statement/letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or armed services dated within the past 12 months which confirms your qualification to receive 10 points preference. To receive credit, please identify all documents by job title and recruitment number.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT: Offers of employment are conditional upon the results of a complete pre-employment physical examination. The cost and responsibility for all such examinations rest with the applicant and not the State of Hawaii.

CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECK: Individuals who are recommended for hire are required to undergo a criminal history record clearance and other checks, as applicable.

STATE RECRUITING OFFICE'S LEVELS OF REVIEW: Applicants will be notified of their status in writing. Applicants who do not agree with a decision or action taken by the State Recruiting Office shall have three successive levels of review. Each review must be concluded before an applicant may request the next higher review. Note that each review is addressed to a specific office.

1. ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW. This is the first level of review. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application when processing of the application is completed. Applicants who do not agree with an action taken by our office or who have questions about their application are strongly advised to first call our office to obtain clarification. Office staff may be reached during business hours at (808) 587-0936. Applicants who still do not agree with an action taken by our office may then formally request an Administrative Review in writing. The request must include the job title, recruitment number, and any relevant information; and must be postmarked no later than seven (7) working days from the date of our notice. Requests should be mailed via U.S. Postal Service to: State Recruiting Office, State Department of Human Resources Development, 235 S. Beretania Street, Room 1100, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. The office is unable to accept requests for review via telephone or fax.

2. INTERNAL COMPLAINT. The Internal Complaint is the second level of review. An applicant who does not agree with an action resulting from the Administrative Review may then file an Internal Complaint with the State Department of Human Resources Development. More information about the Internal Complaint procedures, required forms, and mailing address will be provided in our letter regarding the Administrative Review, if necessary.

3. APPEAL TO THE MERIT APPEALS BOARD. An appeal to the Merit Appeals Board is the third level of review. An applicant who does not agree with an action resulting from the Internal Complaint with the State Department of Human Resources Development (HRD) may then file an appeal to the Merit Appeals Board. Further information and details regarding procedures, required forms, and the mailing address to file an appeal are available at http://hawaii.gov/hrd/main/ecd/mab. If the applicant does not agree with the Internal Complaint decision rendered by HRD, it may be appealed in writing to the State Merit Appeals Board within twenty (20) days from the date of the action on the Internal Complaint. An Internal Complaint must have been completed by HRD before an appeal may be requested.

If you have questions, please contact our office at (808) 587-0936 for further information.