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As a Supervisory Biologist within the National Wildlife Health Center, some of your specific duties will include:

• Plans Studies. Leads a diagnostic necropsy or other laboratory and work units that support wildlife cause-of-death investigations, general wildlife disease surveillance and research. This requires responding to rapidly changing priorities and managing multiple tasks to plan and support ongoing diagnostic cases and research projects.
• Modifies and adapts techniques. Coordinates and collaborates with a variety of principal investigators and laboratory technical personnel to implement scientific objectives. Laboratory techniques must be modified and adapted for use with multiple species of wildlife within a Biological Safety Level-3 (BSL-3) facility.
• Analyzes data. Leverages organizational skills and attention to detail to track laboratory specimens and results using a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and other software. Oversees Quality Management for laboratory work units and analyzes data using other appropriate software and techniques.
• Supervises Technical Staff. Serves as a team leader in the organization and supervises and coordinates the daily activities of a technical staff consisting of five to ten direct reports. This includes assigning and reviewing work, and performing administrative and personnel management functions to maintain productivity, quality assurance, and morale of a team technical support staff.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The field work requires some physical exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or
rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities.
Laboratory work requires moderate physical ability and agility and dexterity to manipulate
samples and operate equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed in an office, laboratory, and/or in the field. The office is adequately lighted, heated,
and ventilated. Temperature and weather extremes may be encountered in the
performance of the outdoor work. Field and laboratory duties may require the use of special protective
gear. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as
not to endanger self, fellow workers, or property with which entrusted.

Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

1. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
2. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
3. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
4. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
5. Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam.

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

• If selected you may be asked to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as those related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
• Pre-Employment Medical - Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job.
• Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
• A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Biologist, all grade levels.

A. Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. *OR* B. Combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position), plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above.

For GS-11:

In addition to the basic education requirements as stated above, applicants must meet one of the following:

Possess 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines.

**OR Possess one year of specialized experience at or equal to the next lower grade level. Examples of experience at the GS-09 level work may include: 1) participation in the planning and execution of biological studies with limited number of variables; 2) performing established, standardized tests and analyses on a broad range of biological samples; 3) conducting biological studies using established fact finding procedures. For examples 1-3, assignments were made with the objectives, priorities, and deadlines defined. The work was planned and carried out independently in accordance with proven techniques, methods, and practices. Controversial use of approaches or modifications of standard procedures were typically discussed with a designated person before being carried out.

**OR Possess a combination of graduate level education as described in above, beyond the first two years of progressive graduate study, and appropriate professional experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

--Basis of Rating: The government-wide direct hire authority for Biologist/0401 is being used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration.