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Wildlife Biologist

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, in the Natural Resources Management Division.

Open to the first 50 applicants or until 08/24/2022 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/15/2022 to 08/24/2022
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$68,608 to - $89,185 per year

Plus 3.94% COLA

Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
Hawaii National Park, HI
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
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 - Career Seasonal- Non Pay status from approximately from 02/02/2023 to 08/01/2023
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
PW-1547-HAVO-22-11602511-ST
Control number
671307100

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Duties

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Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. You will be placed in a pay status and can expect to work a minimum of 1 pay periods not to exceed a maximum of 13 pay periods. You will be in a non-pay status approximately from 02/02/2023 to 08/01/2023 unless other work exists that can be assigned to you during this period. Though non-pay time may be reduced, you will still be placed in non-pay status for a minimum of 1 pay period in accordance with NPS policy. Additional work must be in concurrence with applicable regulations and policies.

As a Wildlife Biologist you will be

  • Responsible for the inventory, monitoring, restoration and management of a number of endangered and sensitive native wildlife species. .
  • Carry out program management duties by developing work plans and schedules, scopes of work, cost estimates, and proposals and/or grants to justify funding requests and accomplish goals.
  • Develop and carry out statistically valid data collection protocols for the monitoring of native wildlife.
  • Conduct analysis of complex data and prepare scientific reports.
  • Coordinate the park's native wildlife management strategies and programs with those on adjacent lands for the purpose of achieving broad ecosystem protection strategies and preventing human impacts.
  • Represent park on NPS regional task groups or similar organizations.
  • Make presentations in parks, public gatherings and professional meetings.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
  • You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • This position is subject to drug testing based on the collateral duty requiring firearms in the back-country or other locations for non-law enforcement reasons such as protection from animals.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to [3] nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Qualifications

Continuation of Requirements:

  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Must attain and maintain the prerequisite physical standards to participate in the Park Respiratory Protection Program.
  • Incumbent is required to carry weapons and ammunition as part of the official duties.
  • Must possess or be eligible to obtain a Hawai'i fire arms registration.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/24/2022-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Basic Requirement:
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's, or higher degree, in the major field of study in biology, or a related biological science, that included at least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology; AND at least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences, AND at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to zoology, such as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects (Excess courses in wildlife biology may be used to meet the zoology requirements where appropriate.)
-OR-
Combination of education and experience equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: preparing wildlife portions of environmental assessments, planning and conducting wildlife field inventories and monitoring studies, and interpreting data and preparing wildlife management plans. You must include hours per week worked
.-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as wildlife biology or related field such as mammology, ornithology, animal ecology, or wildlife management or other directly-related subject matter.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are using education to qualify .-OR-Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above you must submit a copy of your transcripts. For example, six months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement) and 45 semester hours directly related graduate level education (50% of the education requirement).

Volunteer Experience: 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

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: The duties of the position requires strenuous physical activity such as climbing, standing, walking or hiking on uneven surfaces and camping in remote areas under all types of weather conditions and elevation ranging from -10,000 ft to sea level. Duties include long periods of standing, walking, climbing across uneven terrain for long distances, bending, stretching, pulling, stooping, kneeling, and lifting and carrying heavy objects and backpacks In arduous, remote backcountry or wilderness conditions. Some activities require extended 4 W-driving across uneven terrain. Activities include flying and working around helicopter, and use of fire arms. Work areas are often remote and may require extended periods in the field camping up to one week at a time. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Assignments include performing in potentially hazardous areas including steep slopes, rocky terrain, volcanoes, caves, fire lines, fog, tropical hot humid environments, poor visibility areas, swamps, deserts, and forests that include hiking and camping in remote areas for up to one week at a time. Work requires
flying and working around helicopters. The park is subjected to unexpected VOG conditions that require personnel working in remote areas to participate in the park respiratory protection program.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: The park is subject to high concentrations of volcanic fumes (VOG) especially sulfur dioxide gas. These fumes are known to be hazardous to Infants, unborn fetus, and people with pre-existing heart and breathing problems. Their long-term effects on normal healthy persons are not known.

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


If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, 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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Manages Human Resources
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management
  • Wildlife Biology


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a Panel Resume Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

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