This position is a Fish and Wildlife Biologist, GS- 0401-11/12 with the R4-Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office. This position may be located in either Bayamon, PR -or- Mayaguez, PR.

Duties

As a Fish and Wildlife Biologist your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Coordinate wide-ranging initiatives involving other Federal and state agencies, organizations, and the public in fully implementing Endangered Species Act programs. Conduct consultations pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Responsible for preparation of Biological Opinions for signature by the Field Office Supervisor or Regional Director. Act as technical advisor to other Field Office staff on the habitat needs of rare, candidate, proposed, and federally listed species for the purpose of Section 7 consultations with other Federal agencies and designated non-Federal representatives. Deliver presentations on the Service's policies and positions to other agencies and the public.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• 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.
• Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform is required.
• Foreign Language Proficiency: This position requires the incumbent to be bilingual, with the ability to fluently read, write, and speak both Spanish and English.
• 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 12/24/2024 will be considered. In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Basic Requirement, Minimum Qualification and Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement. Basic Requirement: Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience that includes courses equivalent to a major in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position PLUS appropriate experience or additional education. This combination is comparable to successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field as shown above. Minimum Qualification [GS-11] One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service performing work in or directly related to the position. Qualifying experience may include: (1) conducting investigations to determine the impact of land and/or water development projects upon the fish and/or wildlife resources; (2) working closely with federal and state agencies to evaluate project designs; (3) assisting in preparing biological implications of environmental assessment/impact statements to evaluate environmental consequences of proposed actions; (4) implementing federal environmental laws (i.e., Endangered Species Act, specifically Sections 7 and 10; Clean Water Act; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; National Environmental Policy Act), regulations, and policies involving natural resource issues. OR Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree -OR- possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with major study in or directly related to the position (e.g., fish and/or wildlife biology, conservation, ecology, etc.). OR A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement. Minimum Qualification [GS-12] One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing work in or directly related to the position. Qualifying experience may include: (1) planning and conducting biological or ecological investigations into consequences of proposed land or water projects on endangered species and their habitats; (2) serving as a technical advisor on the Endangered Species Act for other staff, government agencies, land owners, private and interest groups; (3) preparing and reviewing biological portions of environment assessment/impact statements or resource planning reports to evaluate environmental consequences of proposed actions on fish and wildlife resources; (4) negotiating alternative actions or conservation measures. Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement: This position requires the incumbent to be bilingual, with the ability to fluently read, write, and speak both Spanish and English. 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. The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA),P.L. 114-47, allows certain individuals who currently or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies to compete under merit promotion procedures. For Eligibility Information click here: USAJOBS Help Center | Land Management Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority: Served as a qualified youth on an appropriate conservation project completing a minimum of 640 hours of satisfactory service that included at least 120 hours through the PLC and received a certificate of non-competitive eligibility. Completed most recent Corps service, for which a certificate of non-competitive eligibility was issued, within the last 2 years. Appointment must be effected within the 2 year period. Notification to Applicants: Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

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 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

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