Fish and Wildlife Biologist

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to U.S. Citizens or Nationals; and Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Veteran's preference and traditional competitive rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants who meet the cutoff score will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for the position.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Plans, evaluates, conducts a wide variety of complex ecological investigations or inspections involving complex land and water resource development projects, proposals and/or license applications/renewals to determine their impact upon fish and/or wildlife resources and habitats and to ensure that legal standards and other requirements are met and implemented in a manner most beneficial to fish and/or wildlife resources. Prepares reports on the findings and recommends appropriate courses of action (e.g., approval/disapproval, offering alternative projects, or taking remedial action).
• Evaluates biological data and Federal program or project operational data to determine the effects of those programs or actions on threatened or endangered species through formal and informal consultation procedures. Assesses impacts of proposed Federal actions on threatened and endangered species and develops draft biological opinions required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments for supervisor's review. Recommends ways to minimize or eliminate impacts to listed species, as well as alternatives that will avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of a species or avoid destroying or adversely modifying critical habitat. Assembles or contacts appropriate biological experts as needed when the scope or complexity is beyond the expertise of the staff and helps to identify and implement process streamlining measures.
• Develops comprehensive fish and/or wildlife mitigation or management plans to insure preservation, protection, and enhancement of fish and/or wildlife and their habitat for a geographic area having a variety of habitat conditions.
• Develops, coordinates, or reviews plans that may encompass any and all programs that affect fish and/or wildlife and their habitat conditions including, but not limited to, fire management, moist soil management, cooperative farming, wetland management, water quantity/quality, timber/forestry, or grassland management and/or restoration.
• Gathers, organizes, and interprets biological, ecological, pathological, public use, or other pertinent information to insure management plans are current. Assists with implementation of management plans, studies and investigations required for species propagation/production, resource protection, ecological factors, public information, and other aspects of natural resource management.
• Maintains contact and communication with biologists throughout the assigned Region and with other agencies (Federal, Tribal, and state) that have endangered species programs. Provides technical biological guidance to requestors implementing programs for the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species.
• Represents the Service at professional meetings and other meetings pertaining to species associated with the ESA.
• Provides technical assistance and regulatory information to other Service Programs and agencies (Federal, Tribal, and state) to properly satisfy requirements of the ESA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and other Federal and state legislation/regulations.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/01/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

• A) Possess a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR
• B) Possess a combination of education and experience which includes courses equivalent to a major in the biological sciences (i.e., at least 24 semester hours) as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, GS-11: In addition to the basic education requirement above, you must possess the qualifications below in order to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level.

• A) Possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level as a GS-09 in Federal service performing the following duties:(1) have experience working with ArcGIS, including opening and editing projects and performing basic spatial analyses, (2) have written biological analyses, reports, or assessments (e.g., biological opinions, environmental review documents, species status summaries) that synthesized data to support a management or regulatory decision, (3) have independently worked with stakeholders or partners to answer biological questions needed for decision support purposes, (4) have worked directly with land managers, agencies, or other partners to negotiate conservation actions intended to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to a species or habitat. OR
• B) Possess 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the biological sciences, natural resource management, or a closely related field which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position; OR
• C) Possess a combination of education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of progressively higher-level graduate education you have completed and then divide it by 54. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts

Volunteer 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Interpersonal Skills
• Negotiation
• Partnering
• Problem Solving
• Written Communication

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/01/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. 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. 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. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessment(s).
3. All college transcripts, if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
4. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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