Summary
The incumbent works closely with regional programs, including science coordinators and biologists, and/or technical and management staff at Headquarters; Federal, State, Tribal, and private organization and partners engaged in the protection, restoration, and management of fish and aquatic species and habitat conservation.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position.
Duties
As a Fish Biologist your duties will include but are not limited to the following:
- Develops and reviews comprehensive hatchery and fishery management plans and coordinates with other fishery programs that effect biological resources including, but not limited to: fish culture, hatchery quality control, fishery management assistance, sampling for exotic species, assessing fish populations, and recommending habitat restoration/management.
- Plans and conducts a variety of complex investigations including the design, collection, and analysis of biological data pertaining to species reared and released from National Fish Hatcheries in the assigned area.
- Maintains a high level of technical skill and knowledge necessary to ensure that recommendations for the hatchery/station/center biological program are consistent with current published literature and other professionally endorsed practices.
- Uses analytical techniques to design studies and interpret results for hatchery evaluations and evaluations of ecological interactions between hatchery and wild fish populations.
- Prepares reports on progress and completion of activities and formulates recommendations that guide future programs and influences the improvements in hatchery/management/fish health practices.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Resume (See "Required Documents"). Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is provided on resume.
- Eligibility and Supporting documents - You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to AND submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section.
- 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.
- Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
- Work Schedule: Work may require working evenings, weekends and holidays.
- Work Schedule: Shift work may be required. Emergency overtime may be required. The employee may be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Qualifications
Only experience and education obtained by 06/28/2024 will be considered.
In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification.
Basic Requirement:
- Possess a degree in biological science that included (a) at least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; AND (b) at least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.); OR
- Possess a combination of education and experience that included courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown in above, PLUS appropriate experience or additional education. This combination of education and experience is comparable to successful completion of a full 4-year course of study as described above.
Minimum Qualification GS-11
- One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service performing the following duties: Conducting fishery research and monitoring; providing guidance and direction in the collection of biological data samples; analyzing fisheries data (such as population estimates, fishery harvest, run timing estimates, etc.) using quantitative statistics or modelling; writing reports and giving presentations that summarize results for scientific audiences, government agencies, tribes, as well as the public; and coordinating activities with other fisheries agencies and offices. NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified; OR
- Completed three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in a field directly related to fishery biology such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, fish and wildlife management, marine science, or other fields directly related to fishery biology; OR
- A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement
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
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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
All applicants who submit a complete and legible application by the closing date of this vacancy announcement will have their qualifications reviewed to determine if they possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the work of this position.
- Knowledge of the principles, concepts, and theories in fishery biology and a working familiarity with related disciplines to determine the effect of various fish culture techniques, land and water development projects, and fish health on the fishery resources of an area.
- Skill in applying biometric principles, theories, practices and concepts to develop statistically valid study proposals and evaluation of study results.
- Ability to analyze, design, and conduct aquatic research, modeling, and monitoring projects to plan and conduct a wide variety of complex investigations including the design, collection, and analysis of biological data.
- Ability to conduct fisheries sampling, monitoring and data collection using a variety of marking and tagging techniques such as coded-wire tags, passive integrated transponder tags, radio-telemetry, fin-clipping, and genetic marking.
- Skill in data compilation, relational database structure, and statistical data analysis in order to develop and maintain biological databases, synthesize and analyze data.
- Skill in coordinating official activities and associating with varied entities to establish rapport and cooperation with other agencies (e.g., Federal, State, local), private and national organizations, private landowners, and the general public.
Applicants eligible for priority consideration under DOI's Career Transition Assistance Program/Plan, employees eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Plan (ICTAP). Eligible candidates on the Reemployment Placement List (RPL). A qualified and eligible permanent DOI employee may be selected before an ICTAP eligible.
Required Documents
You must submit a complete application package. We will not make assumptions about your experience and/or education.
Required Documents:
1. Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed and description of job duties. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include the grade level of their federal positions. Include name and address of employer, supervisor name and telephone number. Additional information on what to include can be found here. Your experience needs to address every required qualification. Note: Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
2. College Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. A copy of your official transcripts may be required if you are selected.
Additional Documentation if applicable:
1. Cover Letter
2. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
3. Current and former federal employees - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) to support your experience. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include appointments/separations, promotions, within-grade increases.
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below: The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section.
Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
- Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12438203.
- Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application.
- Applications must be received by 06/28/2024, 11:59pm ET to receive consideration.
- Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov.
Next steps
Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted by the hiring official.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated.
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