About the Position: Adapts, applies, and modifies methods, procedures, and techniques to accomplish a full range of activities pertaining to the ecological aspects of planning for water resource development programs. Plans, conducts, and coordinates biological and physical investigations relating to fish and wildlife for studies during preauthorization, post-authorization, and operation and maintenance stages.

Duties

Provide advice on specific wildlife, fisheries, or other ecological matters to supervisor and project managers. Review and analyzes correspondence from individuals and groups dealing with wildlife or other ecologic problems on Corps facilities. Review detailed wildlife management plans prepared by other agencies or office elements with respect to their adequacy to meet recommended objectives and compatibility with other project purposes. Prepare environmental assessments and environmental impact statements on projects under Corps of Engineers jurisdiction. Review and prepare comments on draft environmental impact statements prepared by other Federal agencies.

Requirements

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• Work may also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items, such as equipment and samples that weigh less than 23 kilograms or approximately 50 pounds.
• Work requires special safety precautions and/or protective clothing and equipment.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Department of Army Civilian EmployeesCurrent Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel WorkforceInteragency Career Transition Assistance PlanLand Management Workforce Flexibility ActMilitary Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473Non-Department of Defense (DoD) TransferPriority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician EligiblePriority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) EligiblePriority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability RetirementPriority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference EligibleVeterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Biologist Position: A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, fisheries, wildlife or forestry or a discipline appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience for the GS-07: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) assisting with biological or physical investigations related to fish and wildlife; OR 2) assisting with planning for civil works projects such as navigation, ecosystem restoration and/or flood projects. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biology, natural resource management, or environmental sciences. OR Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/). OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience for the GS-09: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) performing biological or physical investigations related to fish and wildlife; AND 2) developing for civil works projects such as navigation, ecosystem restoration and/or flood projects. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biology, natural resource management, or environmental sciences. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience for the GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) developing plans civil works projects such as navigation, ecosystem restoration and flood projects AND 2) analyzing legislation as well as policies and procedures for appropriate application to civil works planning and management; AND 3) reviewing data and providing recommendations on environmental impacts. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biology, natural resource management, or environmental sciences or a discipline appropriate to the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Customer ServiceEnvironmental PlanningPlanning and EvaluatingProblem SolvingTechnical Competence

Education

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 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent. For the GS-07 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-05 level. For the GS-09 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For the GS-11 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.

With regards to time-in-grade validation, if you held a position other than a GS pay plan, be sure your resume includes the pay plan and the salary you earned during the assignment. Without this information, your time-in-grade validation may not be able to be verified and will result in your not meeting the time-grade requirement for this vacancy. A further explanation of the required time in grade documentation can be found under the Required Documents section of this announcement.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Contacts

• Address RG-W2R902 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-NEW ORLEANS DO NOT MAIL New Orleans, LA 70118 US
• Name: Army Applicant Help Desk