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Fish Biologist

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

Summary

This vacancy announcement is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coordinated Hiring Initiative. Multiple positions may be filled.

You may apply for up to 5 duty stations.

Click HERE to see specific information about each location/position.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/06/2020 to 10/13/2020
This job will close when we have received 350 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$64,009 to - $91,155 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Mountain Home, AR
Anderson, CA
Arcata, CA
Red Bluff, CA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position. See link provided under "Additional Information" section.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Some locations may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. See link provided under "additional information" section.
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
MR-21-10931405-MM-SDHA
Control number
580898000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position.

Duties

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As a Fish Biologist, duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Provide biological support on a variety of issues relating to management of fish and aquatic species and conservation of aquatic habitats
  • Prioritize species needing conservation attention
  • Develop and implement regional plans for species conservation
  • Provide biological assistance and support to partners in science-based planning
  • Develop biological models to target and quantify habitat conservation needs for fish and aquatic species

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
  • Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform may be required
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify
  • Direct HIre Authority will be used to fill this position

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 10/13/2020 will be considered.

GS-482 Educational Requirements:
Degree: major in biological science that included:
A. 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
B. 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.)
OR
C. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.


You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements in addition to the education requirement described above:
  1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position is described as: providing planning support for biological initiatives related to the management of fish and aquatic resources; conducting studies affecting fish populations or hatchery practices/operations and performing data and statistical analysis; assisting in fisheries management planning; and preparing and presenting scientific data relative to fishery resources; OR
  2. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.M. degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position, examples of qualifying fields include fish biology, fisheries, aquatics; OR
  3. A combination of education and experience as listed above.
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

Click HERE to see specific information about each position/location.

Salary: The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables may be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2020/general-schedule/

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. If you are a CTAP or ICTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you: (1) meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in the vacancy announcement; (2) possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements enabling you to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry as determined by at least one subject matter expert; 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

This position may be suitable for telework & the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. See link provided under "additional information" section to verify if telework is authorized for the location you are applying.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement. TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES: Please click HERE to verify if reimbursement of relocation expenses are authorized for the location you are applying.

The following Conditions of Employment may or may not apply based on the position for which you are applying--see linked Additional Information document for all Conditions of Employment for specific locations:

  • Driver License: You must possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during your tenure.
  • Uniform: Wearing the US Fish and Wildlife Service uniform in accordance to Service policy.
  • Motorized Boat/Swift Water Rescue/Raft Guide Certifications: May be required to possess or maintain boating related certifications
  • Drug Test: Positions requiring motorboat operation will require drug testing
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.

All applicants who submit a complete and legible application by the closing date of this vacancy announcement (or once we have received 350 applications which may be sooner than the closing date) will have their qualifications reviewed to determine if they possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the work of this position:??
1. Ability to analyze, design, and conduct aquatic research, modeling, and monitoring projects to plan and conduct a wide variety of complex investigations including the design, collection, and analysis of biological data.
2. Professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, and theories in fishery biology and a working familiarity with related disciplines to detemine the effect of various fish culture techniques, land and water development projects, and fish health on the fishery resources of an area.
3. Skill in applying biometric principles, theories, practices and concepts to develop statistically valid study proposals and evaluation of study results.
4. Ability to communicate in writing to compose reports requiring a minimum of reviewing and editing.
5. Ability to communicate orally to present data and its analyses.

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