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Biologist

Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The incumbent serves as the Inventory and Monitoring Coordinator for the Division of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning, Midwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/05/2018 to 09/18/2018
Salary
$93,302 to - $121,294 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Bloomington, MN
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Drug test
No
Announcement number
R3018010291833-LO-DE
Control number
509690600

Duties

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The incumbent is responsible for planning, directing, and administering a comprehensive biological inventory and monitoring program for all National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) units in the Midwest Region. The incumbent oversees the development of protocols and monitoring plans and ensures the highest priority and most efficient wildlife and habitat monitoring activities occur on refuges and conducted by refuge staff, volunteers, and partners. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Coordinates efforts between the NWRS, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and other agencies and organizations to implement inventory and monitoring efforts on refuges, and develops inventory and monitoring plans, monitoring protocols and sample designs to address refuge needs.
  • Reviews and provides advice on formal and informal research proposals, field investigations, monitoring/inventory plans, and scientific reports and publications.
  • Facilitates the analysis of multi-refuge data in conjunction with similar data collected by other federal/state agencies and private organizations for purposes of identifying role of NWRS within various national biological inventory and monitoring programs.
  • Coordinates with the Regional Natural Resource Data Manager to ensure metadata for biological data are documented according to Service guidelines for the purpose of exchanging refuge data with other Service divisions, federal/state agencies, and private conservation organizations for use in biological decision making.
  • Coordinates with other management team members to determine information needs for planning and implementation in a management decision making process.
  • Coordinates, summarizes, and reports on research and information needs as well as associated biological inventory and monitoring protocols and database needs.
  • Provides summaries of monitoring and research activities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • This position requires the ability to perform strenuous field work over uneven ground and imclement weather
  • A valid state driver's license is required

Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 0401 SERIES:

Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR

A combination of education and experience which includes courses equivalent to a major, as described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must have been sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skill, and abilities required to perform the work of a Fish and Wildlife Biologist, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4 year course of study with a major study in one of the appropriate fields.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 0401 SERIES:

In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements above, you must also possess specialized experience in the amount indicated below.

At least one year of full-time specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level (comparable to GS-12) in the Federal service. The experience equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include applying knowledge of Inventory and Monitoring methods spanning a diversity of fauna and flora and abiotic features of the landscape to address large scale, complex natural resource issues; and the theories, principles and concepts of wildlife biology, biometrics, decision analysis, and statistics in order to effectively coordinate efforts and resolve natural resource issues at a landscape scale and/or across multiple study sites/regions or with multiple partners; experience compiling large, complex data sets, understanding relational database structure, and experience conducting statistical data analysis; and experience designing inventory and monitoring protocols for wildlife and habitat at the field, regional and/or national scale through the use of current methods to interpret and analyze field data, and make management recommendations.

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.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date will be considered.

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been or may be involuntarily separated (e.g. reduction in force, declining to relocate/transfer outside their local commuting area) from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal or Removal Notice; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; or Removal and most recent performance appraisal.). For more information visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

FWS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of 09/18/2018; OR More than one position may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area. A PCS move is not authorized.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the basic qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the basic qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience which resulted in you being listed in the highest quality category, you may lose consideration, or be assigned to a lower quality category for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Knowledge of Inventory and Monitoring methods spanning a diversity of fauna and flora and abiotic features of the landscape to address large scale, complex natural resource issues; and the theories, principles and concepts of wildlife biology, biometrics and statistics in order to effectively coordinate efforts and address natural resource issues at a landscape scale and/or across multiple study sites/regions, or with multiple partners.
  • Skill in decision analysis, data compilation, relational database structure, and statistical data analysis in order to synthesize and analyze large scale, complex data sets.
  • Ability to design inventory and monitoring protocols and study plans for wildlife and their habitats at the field, regional and/or national scale through the use of current and accepted methods in order to interpret and analyze field data, and make management recommendations.
  • Ability to communicate and foster positive interpersonal relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including but not limited to, the division management team, refuge supervisors, and project leaders.
  • Skill in supervision, personnel management, workforce planning, organizing work, and project administration and coordination.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The category ratings for this position are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the basic qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 showing you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15," Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" in addition to the proof required by that form.

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