This position is a BIOLOGIST, GS- 0401-7/9 working for the R5-Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. There are (2) vacancies in Basom, New York and (2) vacancies in Williamstown, West Virginia. This position is also open to the public under announcement R5-25-12562090-LAS-DE. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Duties

The salary will be based upon duty station and locality pay once selected. Locality tables may be found at: Federal Pay Tables 2024 As a BIOLOGIST your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Participates in biological studies and assessments focused on aquatic invasive species including fish, invertebrates, and plants. Collects and identifies field specimen using a variety of standard fisheries sampling gear. Reviews research reports and publications addressing fish, invertebrate, and plant species to prepare risk assessment documents for species that could pose invasive threats. Collects and interprets data, reviews analyses, and drafts relevant technical reports. Maintains field operation gear including standard biological collection gear, vessels, and vehicles. Participates in local outreach events supporting native species restoration and invasive species prevention priorities.

Requirements

• 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.
• Merit promotion applicants must meet time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
• 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.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 10/18/2024 will be considered. In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification. Basic Requirement: Possess a 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 Possess a combination of education and experience which includes courses equivalent to a major in the biological sciences (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, or natural resources management or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Minimum Qualification [GS-07] Possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: 1.) Assisting with the maintenance and operation of a variety of standard field sampling gear for fish and invertebrates (such as fyke nets, gill nets, electrofishing, hoop nets, trawl net, seine nets, ponar grab); 2.) Assisting with operation and maintenance of vessels (22-25ft in length) including trailering; 3.) Entering data using basic software and operating systems including some geospatial applications (ArcGIS, R); 4.) Assisting with the review and interpretation of scientific information including journal articles, reports, and technical papers; 5.) Assisting with scientific or technical report writing; and 6.) Assisting with implementation of invasive species prevention strategies. NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified; OR Successfully completed of 1 full year (18 semester hours) of graduate education in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position; OR Possess Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) S.A.A. is based on (1) Class Standing, (2) Grade-Point Average, or (3) Honor Society Membership. (1) Class Standing: Upper one-third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses. (2) Grade-Point Average: A grade point average of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on the official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 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 two years of the curriculum. (3) Election to Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society: Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Freshman scholastic honor societies cannot be used to meet the requirements of this position; OR Possess a combination of specialized experience as described in A above and graduate education as described in B above, when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. Minimum Qualification [GS-09] Possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: 1.) Maintaining and operating of a variety of standard field sampling gear for fish and invertebrates (e.g., fyke nets, gill nets, electrofishing, hoop nets, trawl net, seine nets, ponar grab); 2) Operating and maintaining vessels up to 22-25ft in length including trailering; 3.) Manipulating and analyzing data using basic software and operating systems including some geospatial applications (ArcGIS, R); 4.) Reviewing and interpretating scientific information (e.g., journal articles, reports, and technical papers); 5.) Writing scientific and technical reports; and 6.) Implementing invasive species prevention or control strategies. NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified; OR Possess 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in wildlife biology, ecology, or a directly related field appropriate to this position; OR Possess an equivalent combination of professional experience and graduate level education beyond the first year which together equals 100% of the requirements. (When combining education with experience, first determine the total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine the experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.) 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. Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically, i. Area of Consideration. ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502. iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS), wage grade positions, applicants are evaluated using the OPM Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations and the job element examining method Your SF-50 will be used to confirm you meet all requirements

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)

Contacts

• Address
• Name: Human Resources Staffing Division
• Email: [email protected]