This is an Interdisciplinary position which may be filled under either of the following titles and occupational series, depending on the qualifications of the applicant and needs of the agency: Geographer, GS-150 or Biologist, GS-0401.
Summary
This is an Interdisciplinary position which may be filled under either of the following titles and occupational series, depending on the qualifications of the applicant and needs of the agency: Geographer, GS-150 or Biologist, GS-0401.
DUTY LOCATIONS: Duty location to be determined upon selection in a wildlife refuge office within Region 4 (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN, KY, AR, LA, MS).
SALARY RANGE:The salary range stated on the vacancy announcement is from the Rest of United States pay table. To see salary ranges for all areas within the United States, please consult OPM's Pay Tables at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2018/general-schedule/. Candidates new to the Federal service typically start at the step 1 of the grade.
NOTE: This announcement is being advertised concurrently under R4-19-10386253-DB-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.
MAJOR DUTIES include, but are not limited to:
Serves as the data management expert for the National Wildlife Refuge System regional inventory and monitoring program.
Plans, designs, implements, and documents data management tools, electronic field data collection, and standard operating procedures and protocols for natural resource monitoring to address identified needs that are consistent with USFWS standards and options.
Uses knowledge of MS Access, MS SQL Server, R, ArcGIS and ERDAS software operating in the Windows environment to support, maintain and automate procedures.
Develops and executes data management plans, user training and guidance, and metadata procedures.
Acquires authoritative base geospatial data and conducts geospatial data collection, analysis, and modeling.
Performs analysis and provides interpretation of tabular, graphic or geospatial information.
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
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
Must be able to legally operate a government vehicle
A valid State driver's license is required during appointment
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants MUST meet BOTH the Basic Education Requirements and Additional Qualification Requirements listed below.
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS - GS-150:
Have successfully completed a full four year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher in geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies, or planning that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields.
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS - GS-401:
A. Have successfully completed a full four year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a discipline related to this position.
B. Have an appropriate combination of education and experience that included course work equivalent to a major (i.e. 24 semester hours) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a discipline related to this position; PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four year course of study with a major as described above.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS - BOTH GS-150 and GS-401 - GS-11 LEVEL:
A. Have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the federal service. This specialized experience MUST include: (1) Field natural resource field data collection; (2) Developing and documenting project metadata, data management plans and procedures; (3) Developing and maintaining tabular and spatial data structures for data storage, quality control/quality assurance, and preparation for analysis; (4) Implementation of data manipulation techniques to evaluate and standardize data sets, using platforms including MS Access, SQL Server, R, ArcGIS. OR
B. Have successfully completed at least three full years of graduate education or a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to one of the following disciplines: (1) biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry; or (2) geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies, or planning that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields. OR
C. I have a combination of education and experience that has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of this position. I have graduate level education beyond the 2nd year that I am using to qualify in combination with my experience. This education is i: (1) biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry; or (2) geography; or related physical or social science such as geology, meteorology, economics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, cartography, computer science, urban studies, or planning that included at least 24 semester hours in geography or related fields.
NOTE: Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this vacancy announcement will be considered.
IN DETERMINING YOUR QUALIFICATIONS: Your responses to the Minimum Qualifications and Assessment Questions will be verified against the information you provide in your resume and transcripts. Therefore, your responses MUST be supported in your resume and transcripts. If your resume and transcripts do not support your response, you will either be determined as not qualified for this position or placed in a lower rating category. Copies of your transcripts MUST be submitted to document educational accomplishments and MUST list your coursework taken as well as the degree you were awarded and the date this degree was conferred (if applicable). NOTE: A list of coursework without any identifying college or degree information will not be considered.
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
TELEWORK: This position is eligible for telework upon supervisory approval
RELOCATION EXPENSES are authorized as follows: travel and relocation expenses including reimbursable real estate expenses will be authorized in accordance with Federal travel regulations excluding contractor-provided home sale. All moving expenses are taxable.
NOTE: We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of 02/14/2019; OR 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.
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP) or INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP):These programs apply to Federal 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. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet ICTAP or CTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP or CTAP 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/
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 transcripts will be used to determine whether you meet the Basic Education and Minimum Qualification Requirements on this announcement. If you meet these, your resume will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after review, 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.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
(1) Knowledge of field-based natural resource sample design, data collection, and related data management strategies.
(2) Skill sufficient to design, develop, and maintain spatial and non-spatial data management systems for natural resource inventory and monitoring data collected as part of coordinated surveys across many management areas.
(3) Skill in database management systems such as MS Access, MS SQL Server, R, query languages, table relationships, and views sufficient to generate complex queries and reports.
(4) Knowledge of data administration standards sufficient to develop data dictionaries, data models, metadata repositories, and data management tools.
(5) Ability to design and implement digital field data collection projects, incorporating diverse spatial and non-spatial data types.
(6) Ability to collaborate effectively with partners and co-workers to identify project constraints, solve problems and achieve project objectives.
CATEGORY RATING: 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; and 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. This means that qualified veterans will be referred for consideration before non-veterans can be referred. 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).
VETERANS: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit the Member Copy 4 copy of your DD-214 showing your military service that that you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach the Member Copy 4 copy of your DD-214 showing your military service and that you were honorably discharged as well as a SF-15," Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" along with your Department of Veterans Affairs letter stating % of disability.
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/day/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. NOTE: To be considered, your transcripts MUST show your coursework as well as the degree awarded and the date this degree was conferred (if applicable). If you claim that you are qualified for this position based, in whole or part on education, and you do not submit transcripts or your transcripts do not include the required information, your education will not be used in making a qualification determination and you may be found "not qualified". NOTE: A list of coursework without any identifying college or degree information will not be considered. A copy of your final, official transcripts will be required if you are selected. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the transcripts from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See: https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. Also see the "Education" section of this announcement for what documentation is required if your education is from a foreign institute.
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable. You must provide the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 showing your military service and honorable discharge; your SF-15 Form; and your Department of Veterans Affairs letter stating % of disability.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) / Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) 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.
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.
Online Application and Assessment Questionnaire. 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 02/14/2019 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 received. 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.
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/.
Division of Human Resources
Division of Human Capital Management
1875 Century Blvd Suite 370
Atlanta, GA 30345
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 by the customer office.
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 as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated.
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/day/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. NOTE: To be considered, your transcripts MUST show your coursework as well as the degree awarded and the date this degree was conferred (if applicable). If you claim that you are qualified for this position based, in whole or part on education, and you do not submit transcripts or your transcripts do not include the required information, your education will not be used in making a qualification determination and you may be found "not qualified". NOTE: A list of coursework without any identifying college or degree information will not be considered. A copy of your final, official transcripts will be required if you are selected. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the transcripts from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See: https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. Also see the "Education" section of this announcement for what documentation is required if your education is from a foreign institute.
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable. You must provide the Member 4 copy of your DD-214 showing your military service and honorable discharge; your SF-15 Form; and your Department of Veterans Affairs letter stating % of disability.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) / Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) 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.
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.
Online Application and Assessment Questionnaire. 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 02/14/2019 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 received. 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.
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/.
Division of Human Resources
Division of Human Capital Management
1875 Century Blvd Suite 370
Atlanta, GA 30345
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 by the customer office.
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 as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
