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Biologist (Protected Species)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled through the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Government-Wide Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open date: 12/22/2019
Closed date: 01/17/2020
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$74,596 - $115,313 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-Time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - As required
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
BOEM-MMLL-20-RJ-013(DHA)
Control number
555171200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Duties

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This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR), Office of Environment, Biological/Social Sciences Section, Biological Sciences Unit located in Jefferson, Louisiana.

At the full performance level (GS-13) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Serves as the New Orleans Office’s lead expert on matters related to protected species and marine mammals, relevant laws and regulations (e.g., Endangered Species Act [ESA], Marine Mammal Protection Act [MMPA]), and consultation with appropriate federal agencies. 

2. Leads and coordinates on national Bureau teams tasked with establishing criteria for impact assessment methodologies and developing information on protected species.

3. Assesses potential impacts resulting from BOEM-authorized activities (e.g., oil and gas exploration, development, and production, sand and gravel borrow activities, and renewable energy development) interacting with protected species and the environment.

4. Advises the unit supervisor, BOEM management, and senior leadership on matters related to protected species, habitats, relevant laws, and policies.

5. Identifies information gaps, provides justification, develops research concepts, and procures studies as needed in support of national outer continental shelf (OCS) programs.

6. Represents the Bureau at professional meetings, on task forces, working groups, and panels, and at public meetings, as deemed necessary.

7. Promotes communications and coordination with Federal, State, professional, industry, academic, and general public representatives or individuals interested in protected species and their environment relative to offshore oil and gas, sand and gravel, and renewable energy activities.

8. Provides technical leadership to other staff biologists, mentors and trains junior biologists, and assists the unit supervisor in establishing technical guidelines for environmental analyses and consultations.

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

Salary Information

GS-12: $74,596-$96,978 per annum

GS-13: $88,704-$115,313 per annum

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available. 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation.
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  • You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To qualify for this position you must meet the (1) Basic Educational Requirements AND (2) Specialized Experience for the series/grade to which you are applying.  

(1) Basic Educational Requirement:

In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Education Requirements described below:

A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.


OR 

B. Combination of education and experience --course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

(2) Specialized Experience (Must be equivalent to the next lower grade level for which you are advertising)

To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.  Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.  Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:   developing information, analyzing published research, and reviewing projects (e.g., oil and gas energy, renewable energy, marine minerals, or alternative use) for potential impacts to threatened or endangered marine species in U.S. coastal and outer continental shelf (OCS) marine environments; identifying information gaps and recommending or assisting in procurement of environmental studies to support National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Federal consultations, or other regulatory processes related to marine environments; interpreting and applying federal laws (e.g., OCSLA, MMPA, ESA) and regulations concerning offshore land management, management of living marine resources, protected species; AND assisting with environmental analyses, scoping and/or planning processes.

To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service.  Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.  Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:   conducting environmental analyses for offshore projects (e.g., oil and gas energy, renewable energy, marine minerals, or alternative use) with the potential to affect protected marine species; identifying information needs and coordinating procurement of environmental studies to support NEPA, Federal consultations, or other regulatory processes related to marine environments; interpreting and applying federal laws (e.g., OCSLA, MMPA, ESA) and regulations concerning management of protected species, marine mammals, or marine habitats; AND conducting Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or National Marine Fisheries Service.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.  

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. 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: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. 

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

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.

Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report.  In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior.  This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment.  DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity.  Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work.  All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

How you will be evaluated

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

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated by a resume. If, upon review, it is determined that your resume and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be removed from consideration.

If you are a status applicant (current career or career-conditional Federal employee or former permanent Federal employee with reinstatement eligibility in the competitive service), or are eligible under a special appointing authority and you are selected under this vacancy, you may be subject to serving a new one-year probationary period.


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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

The Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.

Agency contact information

Rosa Johnson
Phone
504-736-2440
Fax
504-736-2478
Email
rosa.johnson@bsee.gov
Address
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
1201 Elmwood Park Blvd
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123
United States

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