You too can make a difference in our world. The work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is meaningful and varied. Want to know more about what it is like to work for us? Click here to watch short podcasts entitled Meet Your New Boss and Diversity is our Strength.
This vacancy is recruiting for multiple locations within the Fish and Wildlife Service's Midwest Region, Region 3. The positions are temporary seasonal Biological Science Technicians at a National Wildlife Refuge in support of programs conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
As a Biological Science Technician for a National Wildlife Refuge, you will be a member of a team of professionals working together to conserve, restore, and protect some of the nation's premier fish and wildlife habitat. You will be responsible for a broad range of duties such as monitoring flora and fauna of grasslands, wetlands, and forests; monitoring and controlling invasive species; and utilizing GIS and GPS technologies. You may also conduct minor maintenance on equipment, grounds and visitor use facilities. Additionally, you may provide information about your Refuge to the public and assist with community outreach programs.
Positions will be filled at:
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Sumner, MO). Anticipated field season is May to August. Government housing is available at this location.
Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Boonville, MO). Anticipated field season is April to September. Government housing is available at this location.
Great River National Wildlife Refuge (Annada, MO). Anticipated field season is May to September. Government housing is not available at this location.
Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge (Wapello, IA). Anticipated field season May to September. Government housing is not available at this location.
Summary
You too can make a difference in our world. The work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is meaningful and varied. Want to know more about what it is like to work for us? Click here to watch short podcasts entitled Meet Your New Boss and Diversity is our Strength.
This vacancy is recruiting for multiple locations within the Fish and Wildlife Service's Midwest Region, Region 3. The positions are temporary seasonal Biological Science Technicians at a National Wildlife Refuge in support of programs conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
As a Biological Science Technician for a National Wildlife Refuge, you will be a member of a team of professionals working together to conserve, restore, and protect some of the nation's premier fish and wildlife habitat. You will be responsible for a broad range of duties such as monitoring flora and fauna of grasslands, wetlands, and forests; monitoring and controlling invasive species; and utilizing GIS and GPS technologies. You may also conduct minor maintenance on equipment, grounds and visitor use facilities. Additionally, you may provide information about your Refuge to the public and assist with community outreach programs.
Positions will be filled at:
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Sumner, MO). Anticipated field season is May to August. Government housing is available at this location.
Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Boonville, MO). Anticipated field season is April to September. Government housing is available at this location.
Great River National Wildlife Refuge (Annada, MO). Anticipated field season is May to September. Government housing is not available at this location.
Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge (Wapello, IA). Anticipated field season May to September. Government housing is not available at this location.
Collecting and organizing biological field data using standardized collection procedures and equipment; assembling basic information on habitat (forests, wetlands, and grasslands), plants, and fish and wildlife populations.
Ensuring quality control of data collected; performing field, and data analysis of collected samples and records data.
Making preliminary assessments or determinations on the cause of noted problems.
Collecting data from surveys and employing appropriate data analyses, mathematics and statistics to interpret results.
Assisting with performing a variety of habitat restoration and management activities in forests, grasslands, and wetland landscapes.
Carrying out routine field studies on plants and plant ecology, and/or wildlife and wildlife ecology; inventorying and monitoring of invasive plants.
Working with private landowners, other federal and state agencies, and non-governmental partners to carry out low complexity, non-controversial habitat restoration projects.
Assisting in locating threatened and endangered plant or animal populations; and identifies and maps major exotic species infestations and rare plant populations.
Assisting in the areas of public use which may include answering visitor questions, assisting in a visitor center, and conducting refuge tours.
Assisting with maintenance and construction work such as road repair, fencing, posting, painting, minor repair of equipment and facilities, clearing water control structures such as dikes, ditches, or water impoundments.
May be required to operate passenger vehicles, farm tractors, light trucks, tractors, boats, ATV/UTVs, small watercraft and utilize global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), cameras, and a variety of computer programs.
May be responsible for providing work direction for volunteers, YCC enrollees, temporary employees, etc.
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
Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform required
Valid driver's license required
Field season may vary from anticipated season listed depending on workload
Only experience and education obtained by 12/18/2017 will be considered.
Qualifications
By the closing date of this announcement, you must meet the minimum qualification requirements as outlined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook and as identified in this announcement below.
Specialized experience: One year (52 weeks) of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-04). Examples of specialized experience may include: providing technical assistance in the areas of botany, wildlife or habitat conservation and management by observing, collecting and recording biological field data; computing, compiling, and presenting data in reports for a biological or scientific program; participating in assignments to perform such tasks as collecting, organizing, and analyzing data; keeping detailed records of findings or results of biological science tests and procedures; assisting with invasive species inventory, monitoring or control; or assisting with private land habitat restoration projects.
OR
Education: Applicants must have completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics.
OR
Combination of experience and education: Applicants must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. To compute this, first determine your education as a percentage of the education requirement; and then determine your specialized experience as a percentage; add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 % to qualify.
NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience.
This position is performed both indoors and outdoors. The work involves physical exertion such as bending, walking over wet and rough surfaces, crouching, stooping, lifting or reaching. Hand and finger dexterity and physical coordination may involve fine and precise work, delicate adjustments or exact measurements.
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.
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
This recruitment will be used to fill temporary seasonal positions which are not-to-exceed 1 year in total but may be extended without further competition or terminated at management's discretion. Temporary positions that work 1039 hours or less in a service year may be eligible for rehire in future seasons depending on work demands and budget. Temporary positions hired for a field season will work full-time until end of field season. Upon completion of work, employment will be terminated or work schedule changed to intermittent, which has no predetermined schedule of work.
Temporary employees in the Federal Government earn paid vacation and sick leave if they are on an appointment lasting longer than 90 days. Employees on temporary appointments who are expected to work 130 hours per month or more for at least 90 days are eligible to enroll in a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan with a full government contribution.
Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.
Career Transition Assistance (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs (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/
FWS has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework.
We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of 12/18/2017; 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 career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 biological principles and techniques necessary to carry out a full range of protocol in relation to irregular procedures to perform a variety of surveys, monitoring, and other related tasks.
Knowledge of technical terminology used in the fields of botany, biology, wildlife biology & management, and habitat restoration & management to understand detailed assignments and communicate with co-workers.
Skill in taking scientific measurements, performing mathematical calculations, and keeping detailed and precise records in order to collect and assemble data to prepare reports.
Ability to examine biological problems and assist in identification and damage assessment.
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
Highly 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk
Other supporting documents:
Cover Letter, optional
Official or unofficial College Transcript(s), if the position has education requirements, or if you are using your education to qualify. A copy of your official transcripts will be required if you are selected.
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
If applicable, documentation/proof that you are eligible Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility as required by appointment eligibility to be considered.
Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month/day/year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.
You must also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
DEADLINE DATE: A complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/18/2017 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
When completing the eligibility portion of the application process, please note that only items you answer "yes" to will be used for consideration. You may choose more than one eligibility and you must submit the appropriate documentation specified in the vacancy to support your claim.
This eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You must provide proof of your eligibility (as described below) and will only be considered for the questions that you indicated "yes".
Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Region 3 Refuges Seasonal Hiring
5600 American Blvd W
Suite 900
Bloomington, MN 55437
US
Next steps
Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJobs Account.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk
Other supporting documents:
Cover Letter, optional
Official or unofficial College Transcript(s), if the position has education requirements, or if you are using your education to qualify. A copy of your official transcripts will be required if you are selected.
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g., DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service, SF-15 Form and related documentation, VA letter, etc.)
If applicable, documentation/proof that you are eligible Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility as required by appointment eligibility to be considered.
Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month/day/year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.
You must also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
DEADLINE DATE: A complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/18/2017 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
When completing the eligibility portion of the application process, please note that only items you answer "yes" to will be used for consideration. You may choose more than one eligibility and you must submit the appropriate documentation specified in the vacancy to support your claim.
This eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You must provide proof of your eligibility (as described below) and will only be considered for the questions that you indicated "yes".
Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Region 3 Refuges Seasonal Hiring
5600 American Blvd W
Suite 900
Bloomington, MN 55437
US
Next steps
Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJobs Account.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
