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Biological Science Technician

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
Kodiak, AK
1 vacancy
Bismarck, ND
4 vacancies
Spokane, WA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
5
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MR-20-10688771-DS-DE
Control number
555985300

Duties

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Duties of the position include but are not limited to the following:

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.

Surveys and observes avian populations, looking for abundance, behavior, habitat, sex and age structure, and seasonal movements.

Assists in collecting data on hatchery populations to study health and propagation methods.

Participates in fish population 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 fish.

Participates in plant studies, including carrying out a variety of research and survey methods, analyzing established data, and monitoring environmental elements such as temperature, humidity, etc.

Surveys location for invasive species populations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Valid state issued drivers 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 background investigation

Qualifications

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

You may qualify at the GS-05 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements:

One year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level in the federal service, or equivalent non-Federal experience. Examples of specialized experience would include: experience assisting with wildlife population surveys; capturing, handling, and tagging a variety of wildlife; assisting with the collection of seeds, propagation, handling, and caring for federally listed plants or host plants of federally listed species; Capturing fish for fish sampling; collecting water quality data; Identifying invasive species and organisms; data collection and recording. OR
Successful completion of 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 such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. OR
A combination of specialized experience (as described above) and education (as described above), when prorated,
combine to meet the qualification requirements of this position. Experience and education are each computed as
percentages of their requirements and must equal 100 percent when combined. Only education beyond the second year is creditable to meet this standard.

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

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.

Conditions of Employment: Please see additional information about each vacancy https://fileshare.fws.gov/?linkid=KZi4zr6VWWWw2TfEKiKtmYkmB1GrX1Rl8YDODS6ncAGbVD1egNGUKA

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.

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.

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

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):

Practical knowledge of the biological sciences.
Ability to identify avian species.
Ability to capture and handle fish.
Ability to identify plant species.
Knowledge of invasive species mitigation processes.
Skill in using common hand tools and simple power equipment.
Skill in oral communication.

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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