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Fish Biologist

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

Summary

This position serves as a Fish Biologist in the Roseburg District or Northwest Oregon District, BLM. Vacancies may be filled at any grade, in Roseburg or Springfield, OR.

Salary Ranges:
GS-7: $44,740 - $58,158 per year
GS-9: $54,727 - $71,146 per year
GS-11: $66,214 - $86,074 per year

This position is concurrently open to all U.S. Citizens at the grade GS-07 under Announcement Number OR-22-DE-11417465-ET.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/11/2022 to 04/22/2022
Salary
$44,740 to - $86,074 per year

Salary range for each grade is stated in the Summary section of this announcement.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Roseburg, OR
Springfield, OR
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
OR-22-MP-11417467-ET
Control number
647399100

Duties

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  • Positions below the full performance are developmental, and the employee will work under the guidance and supervision of a supervisor or higher graded specialist, performing a variety of developmental assignments. Duties include:
  • Monitoring and analyzing aquatic resources including fish and amphibian habitat and their populations.
  • Developing study plans for interdisciplinary projects.
  • Conducting fish habitat evaluations.
  • Preparing environmental compliance documents.
  • Writing technical reports and proposals on impacts to aquatic life.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • May be required to complete background investigation and drug screening.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must meet one of the following Basic Requirements for the GS-0482 Fish Biologist.

A. Possess a Bachelor's or higher degree with a 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.)
OR
B. Possess a 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.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for the GS-07:
A. Have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: 1) Assisting specialists and fish biologists in preparing, evaluating or conducting biological analyses of land or water resource projects. 2) Assisting with the review of permit applications to ensure compliance with appropriate laws. 3) Conducting biological studies. 4) Conducting research to obtain data for reports on fish habitat requirements, environmental assessments or other documents.
OR
B. Have 1 year (18 semester hours) of graduate education in fishery biology or closely related field.
OR
C. Have a combination of the specialized experience described in "A" above and graduate level education as described in "B" above that totals 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages.
OR
D. Possess superior academic achievement in a bachelor's degree curriculum directly related to the work of the position. To qualify for superior academic achievement, you must have ONE of the following: (1) standing in the upper third of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply; (2) grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; (3) B+ (3.5 on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent for all courses completed in a related discipline, either (a) at the time of application or (b) during the last 2 years of your undergraduate curriculum; OR (4) election to membership in one of the national honorary scholastic societies that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Society. To qualify for the grade GS-09:
A. Have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: 1) Working with specialists and biologists on monitoring on-going aquatic habitat development projects. 2) Conducting studies and documenting changes in fish biology and habitat status. 3) Gathering and developing data to document effects of environmental contaminants, parasites, or diseases on fish and other aquatic species. 4) Assisting specialists and fish biologists in consultations or sharing information pertaining to fish biology and aquatic habitat conservation.
OR
B. Have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or Master's or equivalent degree in fishery biology or closely related field.
OR
C. Have a combination of the specialized experience described in "A" above and graduate level education as described in "B" above that totals 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. Only graduate education in excess of one year (i.e., 18 semester hours) may be combined with experience under this provision.

To qualify for the grade GS-11:
A. Have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following: 1) Evaluating inventory and monitoring data to determine fish habitat and population trends and impacts. 2) Participating in writing or reviewing technical reports for Environmental Assessments and Impact Statements. 3) Conducting surveys to monitor existing aquatic management habitat projects. 4) Working with special interest groups, Federal, State, Tribal or local agencies concerned with protection and conservation of aquatic and fish habitats, laws and regulations.
OR
B. Have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in fishery biology or closely related field.
OR
C. Have a combination of the specialized experience described in "A" above and graduate level education as described in "B" above that totals 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. Only graduate education in excess of two years (i.e., 36 semester hours) may be combined with experience under this provision.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-05 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 level. One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. One year at the GS-09 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Volunteer Experience: 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 include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

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.

Additional information

  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the Bureau of Land Management uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

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.

Working Conditions:
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.

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

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) or Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria 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

How you will be evaluated

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

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter expert resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Fishery Biology
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Writing

Performance Appraisals: In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Recruitment incentive awards: Applicants that have received recruitment incentive awards during the last two years, must list them on their resume.

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