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

Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.


These positions are located in Redding, Arcata and Susanville, CA. Information about the locations and the surrounding area can be found at Susanville, Arcata and Redding

We expect to fill 4 vacancies.

This is a temporary appointment. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status and will be for a period not-to-exceed 1039 hours in a service year.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/06/2026 to 02/20/2026
This job will close when we have received 35 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$40,736 to - $65,599 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
4 vacancies in the following locations:
Arcata, CA
Redding, CA
Susanville, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 Hours
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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CATEMP-26-12879480-AA
Control number
856882300

Duties

Help
  • Performs on-the-ground inventories of wildlife and habitat, analyzes the data and reports the findings, mortality, success of growth, and adult and young behavior.
  • Assists in locating occupied habitat and/or nest locations to buffer from human caused impacts.
  • To perform duties of this position requires the use of motor vehicles. In most cases this will be a 4-wheel drive vehicle or UTV.
  • Compiles and organizes survey data in current files and other sources, prepares narratives, and reports on and overlays of habitat inventoried and population monitored.
  • Oversight of data compilation, drafting of narratives, and reports habitat inventoried and populations monitored

Requirements

Help

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 Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status. The incumbent is required to wear the uniform in accordance with applicable policies and be required to sign a condition of uniform wear statement.
  • Some locations may require that you possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
  • This is a bargaining unit position.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Biological Science Technician Series 0404 Individual Occupational Requirements

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Research activity or control program work.
  • Nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment.
  • Work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice.

Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience.

-OR-

For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses directly related to the position. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work.

GS-05 Biological Science Technician (Wildlife): One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 level or civilian equivalent. Examples of specialized experience may include banding, tagging, and releasing wildlife. Inventorying, surveying, or mapping rare and endangered species habitat based on guidelines. Assisting in compiling data obtained through survey and assembling it into logical sequence for review.
OR
Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to this position.
OR
A combination of experience and education to meet total experience.

GS-07 Biological Science Technician (Wildlife): One year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-6 level. Examples of specialized experience may include researching, compiling and tabulating a full range of wildlife inventory data. Leading or conducting field inventories of wildlife species to develop intensive scientific information. Collecting ecological site information for sensitive, threatened or endangered wildlife.
OR
Successful completion of one full year of graduate education directly related to the work of the position;
OR
A combination of experience and education to meet total 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 meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: Work requires some physical exertion such as bending and walking in terrain that is rough, rocky, mountainous and densely vegetated. Required to lift and carry equipment necessary to efficiently perform the work of the position, and to provide for personal comfort and safety. This can include tools, personal protective equipment, food and water for extended periods of work away from vehicles.

Work Environment: Office work is performed in an adequately lighted, ventilated, cooled and heated area. During fieldwork is subject to cuts and bruises, extreme and adverse weather conditions, and injuries and discomforts from pests and animals. Employee will adhere to all safety rules.

Education

Applicants may qualify for these positions based on experience, education, or an equivalent combination as described in the Qualifications section of this announcement.

An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

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.

This position is not eligible for Telework.

All positions may not be filled or they may be filled at different times depending on budget, hiring needs, and requirements. These positions are temporary and are expected to last for up to 6 months. These positions have no promotion potential, if you want to be considered for a higher grade you must apply for the higher grade.

If selected from this announcement you may be rehired for identical positions without further competition based on work needs, funding, or any other condition of employment.

If selected from this or a similar competitive, seasonal announcement, your appointment may be creditable for consideration under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)?. The Act allows certain individuals, who have or had time-limited appointments at land management agencies, to compete for any permanent position in the competitive service under "internal" merit promotion procedures. For more information, see the section under Eligibility, which starts with Question #15 (Q15. Who is eligible for appointment under these provisions?).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

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

  • Research
  • Technology Application
  • Vehicle Operation
  • Wildlife Biology





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.