Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Biological Science Technician (Fish)

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

Summary

These positions are a Biological Science Technician (Fish), GS- 0404-5/6/7 working in Red Bluff, California, for the R8-Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office.

This position is also open to the public under announcement R8-22-115811361-GM-DE. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/29/2022 to 08/11/2022
Salary
$36,118 to - $58,158 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Red Bluff, CA
Remote job
No
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
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
R8-22-11581362-GM-MP
Control number
668172700

Duties

Help

These positions conduct research and monitoring of populations of salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon in California's Central Valley, with a focus on Federally listed threatened and endangered native species. Principal duties are collecting data to essential to evaluate management activities and hatchery operations. Up to 95% of work is in the field setting and involves operation of inboard and outboard jet boats. Additional duties may include data entry and equipment interrogation/maintenance.

As a Biological Science Technician (Fish) your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

  • Uses specialized techniques and methods to collect biological and physical environment data from field and/or facility investigations and reports findings to determine actual and potential impact on fish, wildlife, or plant resources from aquaculture, research, restoration projects or habitat improvement projects. Collects biological samples ensuring correct documentation, reporting, storage, transport and delivery of samples taken. Develops and uses automated databases to enter, organize and perform preliminary analysis of collected data, using standard statistical methods in preparation of fish, wildlife, and/or botany reports.
  • Assists in planning multifaceted habitat studies, assessments and monitoring by contributing ideas, determining research methods, establishing practical procedures for accomplishing and reporting the work, and determining other needs, such as costs, equipment and personnel. The incumbent independently plans and implements habitat management and restoration activities such as riparian restoration and the control, and eradicate non-native or invasive plant species. Independently plans and conducts surveys and biological monitoring activities and recommends management practices.
  • Assists in planning and carrying out multifaceted fish and/or wildlife studies, field investigations and surveys by contributing ideas, determining research methods, establishing practical procedures for accomplishing and reporting the work, and determining other needs, such as costs, equipment and personnel. Independently monitors, plans, and implements activities related to conservation, management, and/or control of fish/wildlife.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply).
  • Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Driver?s License: Selectees MAY be required to possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during their tenure.
  • Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform may be required.
  • Probationary Period: Selectees may be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Unusual tour of Duty: This position may require non-standard work hours such as weekends, evenings, and holidays
  • Able to obtain Swiftwater safety and motorcraft operator certification.
  • Must have or obtain first aid/CPR certification.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 08/11/2022 will be considered.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification.

Minimum Qualification [GS-5]

  1. One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-4 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: 1) Performing work in an outdoor setting including all types of weather and terrain to include water; 2) Handling juvenile and adult fish; and 3) Use of computer applications. OR
  2. Possess four years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a (full four year course of study) bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with coursework related to the biological sciences such as: biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics, etc. (You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts indicating the degree earned, credit hours, and course titles in order to qualify based on education). You must include transcripts. OR
  3. Possess a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a bachelor's degree, in excess of 60 semester hours, and divide by 60 semester hours (or equivalent) Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must have at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as: biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics, etc. (You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts indicating the number of credit hours in order to qualify based on the combination option).
Minimum Qualification [GS-6]
  1. One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-5 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: 1) Performing work in an outdoor setting including all types of weather, swift water, rough terrain, and river wading; 2) Handling juvenile and adult fish; and 3) Use of Microsoft Suite applications. OR
  2. Successfully completed one-half year of graduate education (9 semester/13.5 quarter hours, or the school's equivalent) in an accredited college or university that included courses directly related to the occupation, such as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, aquaculture, etc. NOTE: To qualify under this option, you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. OR
  3. A combination of specialized experience (as described in A above) and education (as described in B above,) that, when prorated, combine to meet the qualification requirements for this position. Experience and education are each computed as percentages of their respective requirements and must equal 100 percent when combined. (Only education beyond the second year is creditable to meet this standard.) NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts to verify your education and include proof of your experience in the text of your resume.
Minimum Qualification [GS-7]
  1. One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-5 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: 1) Performing work in an outdoor setting including all types of weather, swift water, rough terrain, and river wading; 2) Handling juvenile and adult fish; 3) Use of Microsoft Suite applications, R, and R-Studio; and 4) Train new crew members and serve as a small project lead. OR
  2. Successfully completed One full year of graduate level education (18 semester hours) in a discipline that is directly related to this position, such as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, aquaculture, etc. NOTE: To qualify under this option, you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. OR
  3. A combination of specialized experience (as described in A above) and education (as described in B above,) that, when prorated, combine to meet the qualification requirements for this position. Experience and education are each computed as percentages of their respective requirements and must equal 100 percent when combined. (Only education beyond the second year is creditable to meet this standard.) NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts to verify your education and include proof of your experience in the text of 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.

Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically,
i. Area of Consideration.
ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.
iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS), wage grade positions, applicants are evaluated using the OPM Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations and the job element examining method
Your SF-50 will be used to confirm you meet all requirements

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

Telework:
This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

For information on CTAP and ICTAP click here

The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA),P.L. 114-47, allows certain individuals who currently or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies to compete under merit promotion procedures.

For Eligibility Information click here: USAJOBS Help Center | Land Management

Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority: Served as a qualified youth on an appropriate conservation project completing a minimum of 640 hours of satisfactory service that included at least 120 hours through the PLC and received a certificate of non-competitive eligibility. Completed most recent Corps service, for which a certificate of non-competitive eligibility was issued, within the last 2 years. Appointment must be effected within the 2 year period.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Ability to communicate orally in order to meet and deal effectively with people of different backgrounds, including representatives of state, Federal, Tribal resource agencies and private agencies and organizations.
  • Ability to follow detailed sampling and laboratory procedures and recognize departures from established quality control and quality assurance guidelines.
  • Skill in taking precise measurements; recording, compiling, organizing, and proofing data; and performing mathematical calculations and summary statistics.
  • Ability to capture, handle, and tag or collar various fish/wildlife.
  • Ability to use computer technology to maintain and retrieve information from automated data systems, develop spreadsheets, and use word processing and statistical software programs in order to develop reports.
  • Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork

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 an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.