Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at:
https://www.opm.gov/policy.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
This position requires the operation of a Federal motor vehicle. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license to travel regionally to meetings to coordinate research, field work site visits, field trips.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:
Applicants must show that they have a degree with major study in biology, zoology, or biological oceanography that included at least 30 semester hours in biological and aquatic science and 15 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences. This course work must have included:
- At least 15 semester hours of preparatory training in zoology beyond introductory biology or zoology in such courses as invertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, histology, physiology, embryology, advanced vertebrate zoology, genetics, entomology, and parasitology; and
- At least 6 semester hours of training applicable to fishery biology in such subjects as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, oceanography, algology, planktonology, marine or fresh water ecology, invertebrate ecology, principles of fishery population dynamics, or related course work in the field of fishery biology; and
- At least 15 semester hours of training in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, or statistics.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
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.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must meet:
Specialized experience:
To qualify at the ZP-3 (GS-11/12) grade level:
Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-2 (GS-9) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Participating in research involving Pacific salmonids, in freshwater, estuary, or ocean habitats;
- Collecting and analyzing freshwater, estuary or ocean fish or habitat data using quantitative methods; and
- Assisting in reporting of research outcomes in reports and peer reviewed publications.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and experience as described above.
To qualify at the ZP-4 (GS-13/14) grade level:
Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-3 (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Leading research projects developing and running life cycles models (LCM's) of Pacific salmon populations, in freshwater, estuary, or ocean habitats;
- Presenting and publishing results in peer reviewed journals as lead and co-author; and
- Working with diverse local, regional, tribal, and other agencies to plan, design and collaborate on LCM research.