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Supervisory Fish Biologist

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

Summary

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under R2-19-10514834-CL-MP for current and former federal employees serving under a competitive service career or career-conditional appointment or reinstatement eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
05/30/2019 to 06/19/2019
Salary
$88,704 to - $115,313 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Dexter, NM
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
R2-19-10514833-CL-DE
Control number
535193800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, CTAP

Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Conduct fish health inspections of wild and cultured fish
  • Conduct standard parasitology, bacteriology, virology/cell culture, histology, and/or molecular biology assays in compliance with service fish health policy and AFS Bluebook procedures
  • Assist in the inspection of fish stocks at federal, state, and/or privately-owned hatcheries, as necessary, to determine disease status of fish populations
  • Assist in program planning and execution of planned programs
  • Build and manage workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations and staffing needs

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • 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
  • Medical Requirements
  • Wear the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform as prescribed
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Possess and maintain a valid State driver's license

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by June 12, 2019 will be considered.

Minimum Qualification for the 482 Series:

Possess a Bachelor's Degree with a major in a biological science that includes the following course work: 1) at least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; AND 2) at least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences subjects such as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects, OR

Possess a combination of education and experience that is equivalent to a major in a biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours) of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences as described above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Minimum Qualification for the 403 Series:

Possess a Bachelor's degree with a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 24 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent, OR

Possess an appropriate combination of education and experience that included course work equivalent to a major (i.e. 24 semester hours) in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Specialized Experience Requirement for Both Series: One year of professional experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include: experience training and supervising employees for work in field, laboratory, and hatchery environments; managing and/or coordinating laboratory, propagation and culture, and field activities; preparing written materials and oral presentations for use as briefing statements, outreach activities and internal reports.

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

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

Physical Demands: Office and laboratory work is mainly sedentary but occasional lifting of moderate weight, standing for moderate periods of time, and a high degree of manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination is required. Field work and sample collection involves walking, bending, lifting and handling field diagnostic equipment and large fish weighing up to 50 pounds. Field work may involve exposure to adverse weather conditions and will involve overnight travel.

Work Environment: The work is performed in office, laboratory, and outdoor settings. The office and lab are adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Field work is conducted indoors and outdoors, in and around running or impounded water in temperatures ranging from 32º to above 100º Fahrenheit.

Passenger vehicles and light trucks are operated. Field, office, and laboratory activities will be conducted in compliance with State and Federal safety regulations and policies. The employee is expected to conduct work activities in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow workers, or property with which entrusted.


FWS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

A PCS Move is authorized as follows: travel and relocation expenses including reimbursable real estate expenses will be authorized in accordance with the Federal travel regulations excluding contractor-provided home sale. All moving expenses are taxable.

Supervisory Probationary Period: If you have not previously completed a supervisory probationary period, you will be required to serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period for this position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Medical Requirements: You must pass a pre-employment medical examination. Also, you may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if you are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.

Driver's License: You must possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during your tenure.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or 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; 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

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):

  1. Skill in applying supervisory/managerial principles and methods
  2. Knowledge of the theory, principles, practices and techniques of fish health as applied to fishery management
  3. Knowledge and experience of bacteriology, parasitology, and virology methods as they apply to aquatic animal health.
  4. Knowledge of advanced molecular assays such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of pathogens of fish and other aquatic species.
  5. Knowledge of a wide range of standard biology methods, techniques (including aseptic technique), and their application to laboratory and hatchery management practices. Requires familiarity with a broad range of laboratory equipment and instrumentation, including pH meters, autoclaves, laminar flow hoods, and microscopes.
  6. Ability to extend existing aquatic animal health methods and statistical techniques, or to develop and validate new diagnostic methods and statistical approaches, for investigating existing or emerging aquatic animal health issues of programmatic concern.
  7. Ability to communicate orally in an effective manner with diverse audiences to negotiate controversial issues,
  8. Ability to prepare effective written and oral reports to present to various audiences.

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, 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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