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Biological Science Technician (Fish)

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

Summary

These positions are Biological Science Technician (Fish), GS- 0404-6 working at the Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office in Lodi, California.

The closing date of this announcement has been extended until Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/13/2025 to 06/24/2025
Salary
$26.93 to - $35.01 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Location
Lodi, CA
3 vacancies
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 - 1039-Hours
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
TS-25-12744477-LP-DE
Control number
838731400

Duties

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This is a temporary appointment intended for seasonal work that is less than 6 months or 1040 hours from the date of appointment/service year. It is expected this position will be terminated upon completion of the seasons work. The agency may non-competitively rehire an eligible temporary seasonal worker in subsequent years who works less than 6 months or 1040 hours in their service year.

A selectee receiving a temporary appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected and are not entitled to within grade increases. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

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

  • Conducts fish surveys using active and passive collection methods, including electrofishing, beach seines, trawls, gill nets, hoop nets, fyke nets, rotary screw traps, and snorkeling for direct observation.
  • Collects water quality parameters with appropriate meters and identifies fish, including larval stages, to species using dichotomous keys while recovering coded-wire tags from specimens.
  • Collects biological samples with proper documentation, reporting, and storage; enters and organizes data in established databases, performing preliminary analysis using standard statistical methods for report preparation.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
  • Drug Testing Position: Selectees tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
  • Driver’s License: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver’s license throughout their employment in this position.
  • Applicants must possess or be able to obtain and maintain USFWS-approved Motorboat Operator Certification (MOCC). You will be expected to perform the duties associated with this certification.
  • Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform MAY be required.
  • Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 06/24/2025 will be considered.

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

Basic Requirement:

  1. Possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level or higher in the Federal service, or equivalent non-Federal experience. Specialized experience includes collecting biological information for fish studies, field investigations, and surveys; performing fish surveys and field studies; capturing, measuring, counting, weighing, tagging, and tracking fish counting devices (e.g. weirs, sonar, screw traps). NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified.
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.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Additional information

PCS: Not Authorized

Telework: This position is not suitable for telework.

Other Requirements:

  • Selectees tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
  • Applicants must possess or be able to obtain and maintain USFWS-approved Motorboat Operator Certification (MOCC). You will be expected to perform the duties associated with this certification.
  • This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.
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.

Temporary Benefits: Most Federal employees earn both annual and sick leave. For additional information, visit Leave Administration. Effective January 2015, employees on temporary appointments may be eligible for health benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and, if eligible, will receive the same government contribution as full-time permanent employees. To be eligible for consideration, temporary employees working full-time or part-time must be on appointments expected to last at least 90 days or be on an intermittent work schedule and expected to work 130 hours per month for at least 90 days. Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.

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. 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 for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 80 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. 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.
For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications which resulted in you being listed in the highest quality category, you may lose consideration or be assigned to a lower quality category for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Knowledge of fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation.
  • Skill in performing biological field investigations.
  • Knowledge of standard methods, techniques, tools, and equipment used in fish surveys, fish studies and fish management.
  • Knowledge of statistical data analysis and microcomputer use for data management.
  • Skill in leading a group of individuals to conduct field work.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The category ratings for this position are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

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