Biologist

Summary

This position is a Biologist, GS- 0401-9 working in White Sulphur Springs, WV for the R5-Appalachian F and W Conservation Office.

This position is also open to Recent Graduates under announcement R5-22-11573867-SM-P. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

This is a TERM position expected to last 13 months but may be extended up to a total of 4 years at management's discretion.
Learn more about this agency

Help
Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates
  
  07/25/2022 to 07/29/2022
  
• Salary
  
  $54,727 - $71,146 per year
  
• Pay scale & grade
  
  GS 9
  
• Help
  Location
  
  1 vacancy in the following location:
  
  • White Sulphur Springs, WV
    
• Remote job
  
  No
  
• Telework eligible
  
  Yes-as determined by the agency policy.
  
• Travel Required
  
  25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
  
• Relocation expenses reimbursed
  
  No
  
• Appointment type
  
  Term - 13 months
  
• Work schedule
  
  Full-time
  
• Service
  
  Competitive
  
• Promotion potential
  
  9
  
• Job family (Series)
  
  0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences
  
• Supervisory status
  
  No
  
• Security clearance
  
  Other
  
• Drug test
  
  No
  
• Position sensitivity and risk
  
  Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
  
• Trust determination process
  
  Suitability/Fitness
  
• Announcement number
  
  R5-22-11574354-SM-IMP
  
• Control number
  
  667110200
  

Help
This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
  
  
• Internal to an agency
  
  Current federal employees of this agency.
  
  
• Land & base management
  
  Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
  
  

Clarification from the agency

Open to current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Career or Career-Conditional Federal Employees, Land Management eligibles (current or former DOI), CTAP.

Help
Duties

As a Biologist your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Assists with the development and review of comprehensive fish conservation and hatchery management plans, habitat improvement projects, species propagation and production, resource protection, habitat restoration, and natural resource management.
• Conducts and monitors stream ecology studies involving aquatic population distribution, abundance, survival, age/length composition, behavior, competition and habitat assessments. Plans and conducts inspections and evaluations of existing projects to ensure that legal standards and other requirements are met and implemented in a manner most beneficial to fishery resources.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with personnel from other Federal, State, Tribal, and local government agencies; conservation partners and organizations to conserve fish and wildlife populations and strategically prioritize, conserve and restore aquatic species and habitats.
• Participates in the conduct of aquatic habitat restoration projects in partnership with public and private landowners.

Help
Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply).
• 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 must possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during their tenure.
• Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform is required.
• Probationary Period: Selectees may be required to successfully complete a probationary period.

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 07/29/2022 will be considered.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification.

Basic Requirement: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Minimum Qualification [GS-09] One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-07 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: Assisting with a variety of projects that included one of the following: assessing fish populations, fish passage assessment, and recommending habitat restoration/ management; Assist in developing fish and/or wildlife management plans; working on aquatic habitat restoration projects; Ensuring appropriate Federal statutes and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are used in relation to restoration projects and/or environmental compliance. OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. OR A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Telework:
This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.
CTAP/ICTAP Information

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.

Note: You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance (dates should match the dates on the SF-50s).

Current appointees:

• Must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency;
• Must have served under 1 or more time limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND
• Must have performed at an acceptable level.

Former appointees:

• Must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency;
• Must have served under 1 or more time limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years;
• Must apply for position within 2 years after separation;
• Must have been separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND
• Must have performed at an acceptable level.

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.

Read more

• Help
  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.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications which resulted in you being listed in the highest quality category, you may lose consideration, or be assigned to a lower quality category for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Knowledge of the theories, principles, practices, concepts methodologies and techniques of biology.

Knowledge of, and skill in applying, biological methods, procedures, and techniques sufficient to develop and conduct biologic investigations and aquatic habitat assessments.

Ability to analyze biological scientific data in order to evaluate varied ecological conditions and processes.

Ability to communicate verbally in order to communicate technical information to a variety of audiences.

Ability to communicate in writing in order to prepare technical reports and develop training materials.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

• Help
  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.
  
  
• As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  You must submit a complete application package. We will not make assumptions about your experience and/or education.
  
  Required Documents:
  
  1. Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, annual salary, and description of job duties. Include name and address of employer; supervisor name and telephone number. Additional information on what to include can be found here. Your experience needs to address every required qualification.
  
  2. College Transcripts: Please refer to the education section above for additional information. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. A copy of your official transcripts may be required if you are selected.
  
  3. SF-50: (non-award), or equivalent Notification of Personnel Action if you are a current or former Federal employee. Your SF-50 (non-award) must show tenure code 1 or 2 in block 24, and position occupied code 1 (competitive service) in block 34. If you have previously held a higher grade than the grade/position you currently occupy, you must submit a copy of the last non-award SF-50 you received for that position.
  
  Note: Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility please review the How to Apply for Reinstatement page for all required documents.
  
  If you have any questions regarding which SF-50's to submit, it is highly recommended that you contact the person listed on this vacancy announcement before the closing date.
  
  Note: You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment if you are requesting to be considered Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibility. For Public Land Corp eligibility, a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Compliance Hiring Based for Public Land Corps Service is required for verification of eligibility.
  
  4. Performance Appraisal: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
  
  Additional Documentation if applicable:
  
  1. Cover Letter
  
  2. Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 Member Copy 2 or 4 showing you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, attach an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference in addition to the proof required by that form (i.e. VA letter). You may not be awarded preference if you do not attach the correct Veteran Documentation as specified above.
  
  3. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
  
  Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
  
  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.