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Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Oregon/Washington State Office

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

We expect to fill many vacancies.

This is a temporary appointment. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status and will be for a period not-to-exceed 1560 hours in a service year.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/10/2026 to 02/18/2026
Salary
$40,736 to - $65,599 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Medford, OR
Roseburg, OR
Springfield, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1560 hours
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
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
OR-TEMP-26-12880148-LDD
Control number
857074500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Biological Science Technicians (Wildlife) perform any or all of the following or similar duties: research, compile and tabulate wildlife inventory data i.e., population counts, reproductive performance, food habits, and prey densities.
  • Conduct field surveys on proposed actions (timber sales, road construction proposals, land exchanges, etc.) for federally listed and sensitive wildlife species.
  • Monitoring of known sites to ascertain site occupation and reproductive success; conduct habitat/vegetation monitoring; conduct inventories for specific species in potential habitat areas.
  • Document locations using maps and GIS/GPS technology, enter data into databases and study files; interpret aerial photos, landsat imagery and topographic maps to determine land use and vegetation distribution and to plot nest/herd breeding sites.
  • Monitoring wildlife species in specific locations to clear timber sales and provide baseline to assess management actions.
  • In some Oregon locations there are special conditions: In these locations your primary duty will be to inventory and monitor marbled murrelets and spotted owls.

Requirements

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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 (2-page maximum and number of hours per week worked for each position ).
  • Must have a current State Driver's License or be able to acquire one within 30 days.
  • Requires the ability to operate a 4-wheel drive vehicle or ATV.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. You must meet the qualification requirements to be found qualified.

GS-5: Resume should demonstrate one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 level. Examples of specialized experience may include banding, tagging, and releasing wildlife; inventorying rare and endangered species habitat based on guidelines;

-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-6: Resume should demonstrate one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5 level. Examples of specialized experience may include surveying, mapping and documenting a variety of fisheries related species and habitat conditions; aquatic and riparian inventories, maps, and surveys; compiling of occurrence and distribution data, cover maps, and herbarium study mounts; assisting in performing fisheries or riparian studies and in constructing fish or stream/riparian habitat improvement structures; and compiling data obtained through soil inventory and assembling data into a logical sequence for review;

-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.

GS-7: Resume should demonstrate 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 fisheries related inventory data or aquatic and riparian inventory data; recommending aquatic and riparian enhancement projects or improvements in survey techniques and evaluation methods; leading or conducting field inventories of soil types to develop intensive soil information; and collecting ecological site information for sensitive, threatened or endangered plants to determine factors limiting distribution and potential for enhancement.

-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 Environments: Work may be performed indoors or outdoors. Work may occur in steep, wet and muddy terrain, in campgrounds, recreation sites, visitor centers, offices, fee booths, bathrooms, trails or remote areas requiring extended camping. Positions may require physical exertions such as extended walking/standing, driving, stooping/crouching, digging, or lifting/carrying. Individuals should be able to work alone or with people; during day/night/weekend/holiday hours.

Education

If qualifying based on education you will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and 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. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution See Foreign Education

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 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

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.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees.

This position may require you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status.

This position may require the use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle or ATV.

At some duty locations you may need the ability to lift and move objects weighing over 50 pounds.

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 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?).

For additional information about the BLM, please visit Our website.

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 Alternative Application

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:

  • Technical Competence
  • Applies Technology to Tasks
  • Project Management
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Wildlife Biology



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