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SUPERVISORY FISH & WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST

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

Summary

This announcement is for two positions within the USFWS's Marine Mammals Management office. These positions are the Walrus and Sea Otter Program and Polar Bear Program Leads.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under R7-20-10786166-TD-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 if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/06/2020 to 04/20/2020
Salary
$102,026 to - $132,637 per year

The salary range given includes base pay and locality pay, you will also receive a 2.86% cost of living allowance, subject to change.

Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Anchorage, AK
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
R7-20-10786165-TD-DE
Control number
564776400

Duties

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  • Coordinate the polar bear/sea otter/walrus program and related activities within the Alaska Region, including Refuges and Field Offices.
  • Provide guidance and direction in the development and ultimate implementation of the Recover Plan for polar bears, sea otters, and walrus'.
  • Conduct extensive coordination with diverse interests which often have opposing positions, including Alaska Natives, conservation organizations, animal protection groups, professional hunting associations, Federal and State agencies.
  • Prepare annual budget and associated work plans for the polar bear/sea otter/walrus program.
  • Identify and recommend strategies, approaches and priorities to accomplish Marine Mammal Management (MMM) objectives and seek external funds to help support MMM and polar bear/sea otter/walrus program priorities.
  • Supervise and lead polar bear/sea otter/walrus program staff and volunteers.
  • Evaluate and counsel staff regarding performance objectives, standards and goals.
  • Prepare issue papers, briefing documents, and provide verbal briefings to Supervisor, Regional Director, and others regarding polar bear/sea otter/walrus issues.
  • Provide in depth analysis of complex biological study proposals, survey designs, and scopes-of-work related to MMM management priorities.
  • Identify important species habitat and recommend strategies to conserve and protect habitats and populations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 04/20/2020 will be considered.

Basic Requirements for this position: You must meet A or B below to qualify for the position:

A. Degree: Have completed a 4 year degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position.
B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

You may qualify at the GS-13 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: perform a supervisory role for an interdisciplinary scientific team formulating and implementing policies, standards and procedures regarding a variety of biological and/or natural resource issues; responsible for managing a budget; provide suggestions and comments for developing short and long-range biological plans; plan, organize, and direct the work of others; co-lead and participate in inter-agency and inter-organization efforts to identify science needs and develop action plans; negotiate biological management decisions to sustain wildlife populations; serve as a technical expert on biological natural resources issues and restoration, protection and wise use of fish and wildlife resources; review and facilitate wildlife and subsistence management actions to include working with the State, Tribes, and other partners; devise strategies to overcome resource problems and/or protect and enhance the habitat for any of the following: various mammals, migratory birds, non-migratory birds, or threatened and endangered species.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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; 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/

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

FWS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement.


A PCS Move is authorized as follows: travel and relocation expenses including reimbursable real estate expenses will be authorized in accordance with the Federal travel regulations excluding contractor-provided home sale. All moving expenses are taxable.

Supervisory Probationary Period: If you have not previously completed a supervisory probationary period, you will be required to serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period for this position.

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):

  • Ability to administer a large and varied conservation effort through priority-setting and policy development.
  • Skill to lead and supervise others to achieve fish and wildlife conservation and management goals.
  • Ability to analyze complex resource issues and develop Service positions for conservation and management.
  • Skill to communicate orally and in writing on fish and wildlife management policies.
  • Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and practices of fish and wildlife, biology, ecology and natural resource
    management to lead a fish and wildlife conservation program.
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. 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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