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FISHERIES BIOLOGIST

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

These positions are located in Challis and Salmon, Idaho. Information about the surrounding area may be found here Challis, Salmon.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/18/2020 to 10/01/2020
Salary
$43,251 to - $83,210 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Locations
Challis, ID
1 vacancy
Salmon, ID
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ID-DE-10912797-GA
Control number
579290100

Duties

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  • Integrate program goals with resource programs, promoting understanding and cooperation between the BLM, other federal agencies, Tribal, State agencies, and special interest groups with respect to water resource and other resource activities.
  • Provide recommendations related to fishery resource/fish habitat requirements, other management activities, including stream-side/riparian area and watershed protection.
  • Manage technical aspects of contracts, grants, proposals, and cooperative agreements between the agency and academic institutions, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and other cooperators.
  • Initiate contacts and present programs and needs to other Federal, state and municipal authorities, universities and/ or private industries to coordinate efforts and secure cooperation, and to provide technical advice.
  • Provide expert advice and develop plans related to the protection and management of aquatic resources.
  • Develop technical direction and standards for fishery resource/fish habitat requirements for resource plans and environmental analyses.
  • Develop plans related to the protection and management of aquatic resources such as: fish passage, stream analysis, and habitat improvements or rehabilitation programs.
  • Participate in the formulation and evaluation of alternatives and in the development of final recommendations.
  • Lead interdisciplinary fisheries/aquatic teams to study and plan proposed management activities.
  • Analyze and interpret data to provide information for use in fish habitat management and project proposal reviews and decisions.
  • The incumbent may perform limited supervisory duties with seasonal employees.
  • Prepare Biological Assessments for aquatic species listed under the ESA for projects that May Affect those species or their Designated Critical Habitat and complete Section 7 consultations with the USFWS and NOAA Fisheries.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land
  • Direct Deposit Required
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience Requirements:

In addition to the basic education requirement, in order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume.

For GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-05 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as assisting higher graded technicians and fishery biologist with performing riparian inventories/studies; you used your knowledge of biological sciences to perform recurring tasks; entered data; and generated queries and reports. Work of this nature was performed at the basic trainee level. OR, 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.

OR Superior academic achievement is based on one of the following: (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society member. For a detailed description of Superior Academic Achievement, please visit the Superior Academic Achievement website.

For GS-09: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-07 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as assisting higher graded fishery biologist by conducting moderately difficult evaluations; used your knowledge of fishery biology to: identify resources; analyze and evaluate conditions; evaluate overall resource needs; identify local impacts and mitigation measures; enter and manipulate data; generate queries & reports & lead lower graded technicians. OR, 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree

For GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the federal service. Specialized experience at this level is defined as performing difficult work requiring professional knowledge of the science involved. Examples; assess fishery habitat, riparian or land health conditions/riparian functioning condition; develops policies, agreements, and restrictions for the conservation & management of fishery habitat; designs projects to protect/improve riparian habitat conditions; analyze data. OR, 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

We expect to fill two vacancies at this time; however, more positions may be filled from this announcement.

Responses to the online job-specific questions must be supported in your resume.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Applicant must have related experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Education

Basic Education Requirement:

  1. Degree: major in biological science that included:

    • At least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; and

    • At least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.)

Additional information

Physical Demands: The individual works in an office setting at this level, however, in order to gather samples and complete monitoring activities, the individual may be frequently required to walk or ride vehicles over rough terrain, perform duties that require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, reaching or lifting. Work may also include lifting of moderately heavy items, such equipment and samples.

Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting. However, when necessary to complete the work, there is outdoor exposure. Outdoor exposure requires some discomfort in extremes of temperature or inclement weather. The incumbent may subjected to hostile wildlife, chemical and physical hazards.

May require completion of a 1 year probationary period.

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

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on a Reemployment Priority List, you may be given priority consideration.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants. The incentives that may be offered include Student Loan Repayments, Relocation Incentives and/or Recruitment Incentives.

If the position is filled at a lower grade level, subsequent promotion to the next grade level will be processed without further competition dependent upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

How you will be evaluated

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

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. In the event that an applicant's response on the questionnaire cannot be verified within the application materials ( e.g., resume, cover letter, education/training), the HR Office has the authority to lower the score of the candidate on that item to the response level supported by their application materials. If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored. The job specific questions relate to the following competencies required to do the work of this position.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

Fishery Biology
Research
Partnering
Technical Competence
Writing



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