Wildlife Biologist Job in Ely, NV

Vacancy No. NV-DEU-25-12621137-KK Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $39,576.00 to $94,317.00 Grade 5 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/26/2024 Close Date 12/10/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Ely, NV


Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in Ely, NV. Information about Ely and the surrounding area can be found at White Pine Chamber of Commerce.

We expect to fill multiple vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

These positions are offering a 25% incentive - see additional information.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

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

Duties

  • As a trainee specialist, the incumbent is expected to complete progressively more difficult developmental assignments that expand the employee’s understanding of work site concepts and underlying principles and program requirements.
  • Learns how to prepare, evaluate, and conduct progressively more complex biological analyses of wildlife ecology/ behavior in as it relates to land and water resource projects; independently processed permit applications, compliant with federal law.
  • Independently design and assist in implementing habitat improvement/restoration projects for the field or state office in coordination with other more senior wildlife biologists or the supervisor; monitor and survey sensitive species and habitats.
  • Know and identify the impacts to wildlife habitat and threatened/endangered species by other resource activities; evaluates inventory and monitoring data to determine population trends and impacts.

Requirements

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. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • May require a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

This position has a Basic Education Requirement (BER):
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree in wildlife biology or a related field that included 9 semester hours in mammology, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management or wildlife research courses AND 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as vertebrate/invertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, AND 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences; OR
- a combination of education and experience equivalent to a major in biological science (at least 30 semester hours) with 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology and 9 semester hours in botany as described above, PLUS appropriate experience or additional education.

For GS-05:
- Meet the basic requirement for Wildlife Biologist.

For GS-07:
- Meet the basic requirement AND one (1) year of professional wildlife biologist experience equivalent to GS-05 in the Federal service. At this level, work is entry level with close supervision. Examples are assisting higher level professionals with vegetative management for riparian habitat maintenance & enhancement, and wildlife & fisheries habitat management by classifying habitat & vegetation types, determine habitat condition & improvement, contribute to planning document; OR
- meet the basic requirement AND one (1) year of graduate education in wildlife biology or a directly related field; OR
- meet the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A) OR
- meet the basic requirement AND I possess an equivalent combination of the type and level of experience and education described above.

Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

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: The work is sedentary but may occasionally require some physical exertion such as walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces and exposure to extreme temperatures. The field duties of this position require that the employee operate four-wheel drive vehicles on and off roads in isolated areas.

Work Environment: Work is performed in the office and field locations under a variety of topographic and climatic conditions.

Education

This position falls under the OPM Standards for Professional and Scientific positions, series 0486, Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR).

This position has a positive education requirement (see qualification section for education requirements). You MUST submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

All selections and tentative offers of selection are contingent upon submission and verification of 'official' transcripts upon selection.

Additional information

Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: This position is offering a Relocation/Recruitment Incentive, 25% of the annual salary. To be eligible for a Relocation Incentive, you must be a current Federal Employee and the selectee must be employed with the Federal Government and the selectees current duty location is more than 50 miles from the duty location of this position. To be eligible for a Recruitment Incentive, selectee must not be employed by the Federal Government.

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

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

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.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number NV-Merit-25-12621138-KK, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-11. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

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.

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.

In addition, one or more Subject Matter Experts will conduct a resume review. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

  • Customer Service
  • Problem Solving
  • Wildlife Biology


In order 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 the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year). USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.

Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.

Transcripts: This position has a positive education requirement, see Education Section for document requirements.

Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit a copy of your DD-214, 'Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,' (Member 4 copy is preferred), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service (must be honorable) OR written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.

If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit documentation that supports your claim as shown on the back of the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. SF-15.

If you are claiming Sole Survivorship Veterans' Preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference.

Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/special-hiring-authorities/.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the 'Documents' step during the application process.

Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.

Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

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

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 12/10/2024. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at kaking@blm.gov, or 775-861-6510.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:

YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.

INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.

The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.

  1. Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered.
  2. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
  3. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
  4. To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12621137
FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 12/10/2024.

NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Kimberly King
Address
BLM Nevada State Office
BLM Nevada State Office
NV-953
1340 Financial Blvd.
Reno, NV 89502
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (Welcome | Login.gov), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.

More than one position may be filled from this announcement, at the discretion of Federal hiring officials. Department of the Interior may share the list of eligible candidates with other Federal agencies/departments, authorized to appoint new employees under the same hiring procedures if the position is in the same: job series, grade level, promotion potential, and in the same geographic locations (including the same metro/commuting area) provided herein. You will have the opportunity to "opt-in" to appear on a shared list. "Opt-in" does not guarantee your application will be shared, but you will be contacted in the event your application is shared


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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