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Wildlife Biologist, GS-0486-9/11 (TERM-DEU-YS)

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

GS-09 Salary:

Dixon, CA - $61,084 (Step 01) to $79,410 (Step 10)

Reno, NV- $50,598 (Step 01) to $65,778 (Step 10)

GS-11 Salary:

Dixon, CA - $73,905 (Step 01) to $96,080 (Step 10)

Reno, NV - $61,218 (Step 01) to $79,586 (Step 10)

NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
12/03/2018 to 12/14/2018
Salary
$50,598 to - $96,080 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 11
Locations
Dixon, CA
FEW vacancies
Reno, NV
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel away from home may be required up to 2 nights per month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months with possible extensions up to a total of 4 years without further competition. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status in the Federal service.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
SAC-2019-0068
Control number
518027000

Duties

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As a Wildlife Biologist within the Western Ecological Research Center, some of your specific duties will include:

- Study interactions between wildlife populations, habitat attributes, anthropogenic change, and management actions; primarily in sagebrush ecosystems.

- Study influence avian breeding ecology and interactions with nest predators, primarily in estuarine systems.

- Demonstrate scientific writing ability (as lead and co-author) that condenses and summarizes complex research hypotheses analyses, results, and implications into peer-reviewed scientific journal articles.

- Model and interpret datasets off wildlife-habitat relationships, survival and recruitment, spatial use, and predator-prey relationships, using advanced statistical techniques ( such as Maximum-Likelihood, Bayesian, Geostastical, and/or Geoprocessing analyses).

- Perform analyses using software such as R, MARK, WinBugs, JAGS, ArcGIS, Spatial Analyst, R raster packages.

- Provide project management support for the principal investigator.

- Operates a government motor vehicle as an incidental driver.

- The work requires some physical exertion such as walking over wet-rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; and bending, crouching, stooping, stretching reaching, or similar activities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year trial period.
  • More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
  • Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
  • Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

  • Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job.

  • Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment.  Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.

  • A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

  • Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: http://www2.usgs.gov/humancapital/sw/quals/0486.html.

GS-9:

In addition to the basic education requirements, you must have 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Examples include:

Examples of GS-07 level work may include: 1) assisting with planning, organizing, and implementing wildlife scientific investigations; 2) performing data analyses on portions of larger wildlife scientific investigations; 3) participating in gathering, organizing, and interpreting biological, ecological, pathological, public use, or other information pertinent to wildlife research studies and/or scientific investigations. For examples 1-3, the work involved following established methods and procedures, or detailed instructions; using some judgment in applying basic principles and procedures; solving minor problems and making routine decisions.
You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

GS-11:

In addition to the basic education requirements, you must have 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Examples include:

Examples of GS-9 level work may include: 1) participating in the planning and execution of wildlife biological studies with limited number of variables; 2) performing established, standardized tests and analyses on a broad range of biological samples; 3) conducting wildlife biological studies using established fact finding procedures. For examples 1-3, assignments were made with the objectives, priorities, and deadlines defined. The work was planned and carried out independently in accordance with proven techniques, methods, and practices. Controversial use of approaches or modifications of standard procedures were typically discussed with a designated person before being carried out.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

  • 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.
  • Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/ohr/oars/quals/foreign.html.

Additional information

  • There are 3 vacancies that may be filled at either duty station; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available. 
  • Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
  • Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
  • Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
  • USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations.
  • The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
  • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.  
  • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

How you will be evaluated

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

--Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following knowledge skills, abilities and/or competencies: Scientific Knowledge, Written Communication, Compute/Analyze Data, Scientific Instrumentation, Information Management, Pressure/Deadlines, Project/Program Management, Leadership & Supervision.

--Basis of rating:  Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied.

--NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.


To preview questions please click here.

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