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Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

TEMPORARY 1039: This is a temporary appointment which is intended not to exceed 1039 hours, however, at management's discretion you may be allowed to work up to 1730 hours in a service year. If selected, you may be eligible for non-competitive rehire in subsequent service years if you do not exceed 1730 hours.

The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables may be found here

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/07/2020 to 01/13/2020
Salary
$16.73 to - $21.75 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Locations
59 vacancies in the following locations:
Cold Bay, AK
Fairbanks, AK
Soldotna, AK
Decatur, AL
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 Hours
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MR-20-10691084-TL-DE
Control number
555895800

Duties

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The incumbent participates in wildlife studies, including carrying out a variety of research and survey methods, analyzing established data, and monitoring environmental elements related to conservation, management, and/or control of wildlife.

Assists with performing biological studies for determining the manner and extent to which wildlife populations are affected by management activities.

Uses field equipment including cameras, GPS equipment, binoculars, rangefinders and computers in order to capture wildlife survey data or for other records.

Independently identifies and collects data for studies.

Logs samples/data to be used for analysis. Uses a variety of laboratory and equipment to perform standardized tasks for studies.

Compiles and summarizes data from surveys, biological evaluations, and tests. Runs routine programs and checks resulting data for inconsistencies.

Assists in preparation of reports.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Valid state issued driver's license
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • 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 Non-Sensitive-Low background investigation

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by01/13/2020 will be accepted.

Minimum Qualification requirement for this position (must meet A, B, or C).
A. A bachelor's degree, or have successfully completed of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major field of study (or at least 24 semester hours of study) in biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours are directly related to this position.
OR
B. At least one year specialized experience comparable to the GS-4 level or higher, performing the following duties: conducting surveys of wildlife; capturing, handling, and tagging a variety of wildlife; assisting with studies of wildlife or vegetation; conducting invasive plant control duties, and recording scientific data to prepare reports.
OR
C. A combination of experience as described under letter B above and education as described under letter A above which, when combined, is equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. (Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours may be used in this calculation). To calculate your percentage of education, first determine the total number of semester hours that exceed 60 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of study), then divide the total number of your excess semester hours by 30 (or your school's definition of one year of study). To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%.

Physical Demands/Work Environment:
Physical demands will range depending on the project and use of the position. This could range from working primarily in an office/lab environment in which a normal level of agility and dexterity is needed to field work requiring regular and recurring physical activity such as prolonged standing, walking over wet and/or rocky surfaces, stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing, and carrying heavy items may occur. The work environment will range depending on the project and use of the position. This could range from working primarily in an office/lab environment with adequate lighting and temperature control to field work with extreme weather conditions, insects/wildlife, and/or other environments that would require the incumbent to use protective clothing or gear such as hard hats, masks, gowns, earplugs, coats, boots, goggles, gloves, or shields to mitigate risks.

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

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (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; 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/

Selective Service: To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

Conditions of Employment: Please see additional information about each vacancy here.

Telework: FWS has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement.

PCS: A PCS move is not authorized.

The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables may be found here

The salary range given above includes base pay and locality pay, you will receive a 2.86% cost of living allowance for Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, or 4.40% for all other Alaska locations. This allowance is subject to annual review, adjustment and grade decrease.

Some positions located in Alaska may require to carry a shot gun and thus will require a drug test. These positions are covered by the Lautenberg Amendment: This position authorized the incumbent to carry a firearm. Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition (Title 18, U.S.C. Section 922(g)(9). Candidates under consideration will be required to certify whether they have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Temporary Benefits: Most Federal employees earn both annual and sick leave. For additional information, visit Leave Administration. Effective January 2015, employees on temporary appointments may be eligible for health benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and, if eligible, will receive the same government contribution as full-time permanent employees. To be eligible for consideration, temporary employees working full-time or part-time must be on appointments expected to last at least 90 days, or be on an intermittent work schedule and expected to work 130 hours per month for at least 90 days. 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.

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):

  • Skill in oral communication
  • Skill in using common hand tools and simple power equipment
  • Knowledge of database systems
  • Ability to identify wildlife species
  • Knowledge of the biological sciences

    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, 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.

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