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Research Wildlife Biologist

Department of the Interior
Geological Survey
This job announcement has closed

Summary

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

For GS-12: Salary: $86,657 (Step 01) to $112,659,000 (Step 10); For GS-13: Salary: $103,046 (Step 01) to $113,961 (Step 10); NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.

The selectee will be entitled to a cost of living allowance of 2.86% in addition to the basic salary.

Open to all U.S. citizens under: USGS-SAC-21-11142571-DE-MB

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/27/2021 to 10/12/2021
Salary
$86,657 to - $133,961 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Anchorage, AK
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - An average of overnight travel of 1 - 2 nights may be required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses are authorized.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
USGS-SAC-21-11166416-ST-MB
Control number
614167300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current or former Federal employees w/perm comp status; OR those eligible under a special or noncomp appointing authority (e.g.,VRA, disabled, Pathways Interns & Recent Grads who are elig for noncomp conversion, etc.); OR current or former employees who are serving, or previously served, on temp or term appt in a land mgmt agency; OR veterans with preference or have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after approx 3yrs or more of continuous active service.

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Duties

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

  • Responsible for the planning and conducting of quantitative and statistical investigations with focus on USGS Ecosystem Mission Area topics in the Arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska.
  • The research includes various quantitative analyses, modeling and mapping of data for studies on behavioral response, population dynamics, population trends, the distribution and abundance of wildlife and their habitats, habitat and landscape characteristics relative to the effects of climate change, and analysis of data.
  • The incumbent independently develops and conducts all phases of the research process including research questions, planning, execution, and analysis, interpretation, and reporting of findings with only limited guidance.
  • Operates a government vehicle as an incidental driver.
Physical Demands:
The work will require standing or sitting in place for extended periods of time and requires substantial time working with computers. Some lifting of equipment, supplies, or samples will occasionally be required. Some field sampling in remote wilderness conditions will occasionally be required.

Work Environment:
Duties of this position require sitting for extended periods of time at a computer terminal. Some field work in outdoor environments will occasionally be required.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

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

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

  • You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record.
  • 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.
  • If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, GS-0486: Applicants must meet the following to satisfy the basic education requirement for Research Wildlife Biologist, all grade levels.

Research positions: Degree with major in wildlife biology, zoology, or botany that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in biological science and 15 semester hours in the physical, mathematical, and earth sciences. This course work must have included:

  • At least 9 semester hours of training applicable to wildlife biology in such subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, principles of population dynamics, or related course work in the field of wildlife biology; and
  • At least 12 semester hours in zoological subjects such as invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy of the vertebrates, embryology, animal physiology, entomology, herpetology, parasitology, and genetics; and
  • At least 9 semester hours in the field of botany and related plant science; and
  • At least 15 semester hours of training in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, soils, and/or geology.
For GS-12:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following:

**Possess one year of appropriate professional experience in wildlife biology that is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: working closely with partner agencies to design and execute effective field and quantitative studies and implement and develop novel quantitative tools to analyze and convey information on status and trends of natural resources in the Arctic.

**OR Possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a directly related field of study.

**OR Possess a combination of successfully completed progressive graduate level education, as described above, that is beyond the second year of graduate study and professional experience, as described above.

For GS-13:

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following:

Possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: working closely with partner agencies to plan and execute effective research on natural resource topics in the Arctic and direct a broad partner-oriented quantitative research program.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position 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: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs .

Additional information

Other Information:

  • Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
  • There is currently only one vacancy to be filled; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available.
  • The full performance level for a Research position is GS-15; however, promotion eligibility is dependent upon the scientific contributions of the incumbent as evaluated by a peer panel.
  • 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 DOI places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates, including candidates from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, women, LGBT individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
  • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
Agency Benefits:

How you will be evaluated

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

--Basis of Rating:

If you meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements of this position, you will be contacted via email after the vacancy announcement closes and given 10 calendar days to submit narrative responses that address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the duties of this position. You will be rated and ranked based on the information you provide in your resume as well as the responses you submit to the required KSAs.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position are as follows:

1. Ability to independently design, conduct and publish studies involving standard and or novel quantitative analyses as part of research on topics such as species or landscapes of management concern, population dynamics, ecological relationships, and spatial distribution and abundance of wildlife.

2. Experience and demonstrated ability to advise other scientists on the types and appropriate applications of current statistical modeling techniques for analysis of spatially and temporally structured data.

3. Ability to prepare research proposals, write scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals, and presents research findings at professional conferences.

4. Ability to establish goals, coordinate progress with collaborators, and make decisions regarding research projects.

5. Ability to lead a scientific program that involves the supervision of one or more employees and the design, budgeting, and execution of multiple research projects at the same time. Please describe your role in this work.

Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and awards during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

--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 the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11166416

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