Job opening: Animal Caretaker (Fisheries)
Salary: $21 - 26 per hour
Published at: Dec 03 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
These positions are Animal Caretaker (Fisheries), WG-5048-5.
Please see additional information about each vacancy HERE
Pay Rate: $21.03 - $24.50
Grand Junction, Mesa, CO
Randlett, Uintah, UT
Vernal, Uintah, UT
Pay Rate: $22.65 - $26.40 (WG 141R VA)
Charles City, Charles City, VA
Duties
This is a temporary appointment intended for seasonal work that is less than 6 months or 1040 hours from the date of appointment/service year. It is expected this position will be terminated upon completion of the seasons work. The agency may non-competitively rehire an eligible temporary seasonal worker in subsequent years who works less than 6 months or 1040 hours in their service year.
As a Animal Caretaker (Fisheries) your duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Actively involved in the entire production cycle of the hatchery from spawning to egg care and feeding, to hatching and fry care, to raising of fry, to rearing and release of adult fish, and subsequent harvesting of new eggs to continue the cycle. In addition to routine care requirements, at this level, incumbent decides the care and feeding required according to their personal observations at the time in question.
Operates electric, gasoline, or diesel-powered forklift trucks with rated lifting capacity of less than 10,000 pounds, to a height up to14 feet. Operates the lifting and tilting controls, and steers the vehicle, with automatic or manual transmissions (with up to 4 speeds), into position to load, move, transport, and stack goods and materials contained on pallets, skids, crates, or boxes.
Perform assignments relative to general maintenance e.g., buildings, grounds, facilities, and/or fleet using simple hand tools and simple power equipment. This includes picking up trash, emptying trashcans, mowing grass, trimming shrubs, clearing small trees or brush, performing minor repairs on traps and fences, washing or cleaning vehicles, etc.
Physical Effort:
Regular and recurring work requires heavy physical effort. The incumbent must be physically able to withstand arduous conditions. This typically involves: Physical exertion: frequent lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling fish, feeding trays, feed, supplies, and materials of varying weights, sizes, and shapes up to 75 pounds. Feed lifted is generally 50 pounds to height of 4 feet. Occasionally, lifting between 80-100 pounds is required. Physical effort: prolonged standing, walking, stooping, bending, and climbing. Strain: lack of movement, standing in place or stooping for extended periods of time; manual dexterity involved in handling live fish, frequent immersion of hands in cold water. Incumbent is subject to bites and scratches on hands and arms during the spawning process where incumbent will be handling large fish where the ability to move fast and decisively is critical. The work requires periods of sustained exertion. In emergency operations, such as cleaning and adjustment of water intake structures during high water, leaf drop, or in spawning operations, where the need to work rapidly in sorting and selecting fish for egg selection is critical to keeping the mortality rate low.
Working Environment:
The work environment is a quasi-industrial. The hazards, physical hardships, and working conditions to which the incumbent will be exposed while performing the assigned work includes working in and around running water, indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions and temperatures. Outdoor work requires frequent exposure to wet and slippery surfaces, strong and unpleasant odors, drafts, loud noise, dust, and dirt. If forklift or motor vehicle operation is identified as a duty, the incumbent will also maneuver vehicles in congested areas and over rough terrain. Indoor work is often accomplished in office buildings or in well-lighted, heated, and ventilated areas. At this level there is greater possibility of injury. Incumbent is subject to bites and scratches on hands and arms during the spawning process where incumbent will be handling large fish coming out from under the anesthetic at unforeseen moments in enclosed and constrained confines where the ability to move fast and decisively is critical. Work requires the incumbent to follow proper safety procedures, use standard safety equipment, and wear protective clothing and gear such as coveralls, aprons, rubber clothing, gloves, goggles, ear protectors, safety shoes, and glasses to avoid possible hazards. Safety devices will be provided to ensure safe trade practices are adhered to in order to minimize the opportunity for injury and exposure to harmful chemicals and/or diseases.
Requirements
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
- See Additional Information section for link to additional conditions of employment applicable to each position advertised
- Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
Qualifications
By 12/09/2024 of this announcement, you must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook X118C, Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupation.
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/
Although no specific amount of experience, education or training is required, applicants must meet a minimum level of ability in relation to the position and the Assessment Questionnaire in order to be rated qualified for consideration. To be qualified candidates must meet any screen out element(s) listed at an "acceptable" level, and must achieve an average rating of at least "acceptable" on all of the elements. Only education, training, or experience acquired before the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements.
The screen out element for this position is: ABILITY TO DO THE WORK OF AN ANIMAL CARETAKER WITHOUT MORE THAN NORMAL SUPERVISION, to follow routine schedules and work methods to provide for the normal needs of hatchery fish, such as 1) catching and handling fish with nets or hands; 2) providing regular/scheduled feed; 3) recognizing obvious changes to fish appearance and activity such as pregnancy, fighting, or refusal to feed; and 4) keeping records such as fish size, weight, sex, and age.
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.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.