Job Title:Biological Science Technician (Fisheries)

Department:Department Of The Interior

Agency:Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Job Announcement Number:R1-14-1207744-MS

JOB SUMMARY:

You too can make a difference in our world. The work of the US Fish and Wildlife Service is meaningful and varied. Want to know more about what it is like to work for us? Click here to watch short podcasts called Meet Your New Boss! and Diversity is our Strength

These are temporary positions located at the Washington Fish and Wildlife Office.  The positions will be located in Lacey, Washington.   These positions will not exceed eight months in duration; however, they may be extended without further competition if the need continues and funding is available.  Maximum total appointment will not exceed 2 years.

You will perform a full range of assignments in support of professional biologists who are responsible for conserving aquatic species and their habitats, conservation of at-risk species, restoration, and recovery of listed species.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

• 75% or Greater
• travel required and incumbent may work four nights per week in remote locations

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED

• No

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. Citizenship and Background Investigation
• Ability to swim is a requirement of this position
• Valid driver’s license
• May be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Snorkeling and wading in streams will be required for gathering data
• Extensive travel required at four nights per week

DUTIES:

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Conduct field investigations for habitat and stream analysis, restoration and monitoring, including spawning ground surveys, snorkel surveys, distribution and abundance estimation, fish passage studies, and fish and habitat assessments.

Conduct stream and fish surveys which includes use of electrofishing equipment, seine and nets, trawls, and dredges.

Conduct biological sampling of aquatic organisms which includes gill and hoop nets, fyke nets, and rotary screw traps.

Perform computations and assessment of standard biological data to prepare biological reports; enter field data into computer databases.

Drive government vehicles to field locations.

Utilize technical equipment such as GPS units, tag detection equipment, data loggers, and water quality sampling and survey equipment.

Working Conditions: Fieldwork performed in remote locations on and around swift-flowing streams and rivers, requiring access by kayak, boat, raft, or on foot.  You must be able to lift and carry items such as packs or equipment up to 50 pounds for extended periods of time and carry over 50 pounds for shorter distances. Snorkeling and swimming involve whole body immersion in cold, swift, murky water. Field surveys in remote locations may require working during weekends, holidays, daylight/nighttime hours for extended periods.

Physical Requirements:  Prolonged standing, kneeling, climbing, and walking over wet, rocky surfaces; physical stamina to withstand inclement weather and conditions such as heavy rain, high winds, swift streams.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

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You must meet all qualification requirements outlined in this vacancy by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

Note: All applicants (including current and former employees) who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of transcripts, which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), and grade point average or class ranking. Even if you are in or have previously held a position in the series, you must submit the required documents to be considered for this position. If any required course work is not easily recognizable on transcripts, you must submit written course descriptions from the school (e.g., from the school catalog, official course syllabus, or course description verified by the school) for those classes to be credited.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED (minimum): You must meet at least one of the following:

A. One full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in Federal service which is directly related to this position and demonstrates that you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the work. Specialized experience is defined as assisting with fish population or fish habitat surveys; monitoring fish species populations and distributions; using a variety of fishery field equipment such as electrofishing backpack units, flow meters, GPS units; collecting, recording, and organizing biological data.

OR

B. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be directly related to fishery subjects, such as fish biology, ichthyology, limnology, aquaculture, etc. You must submit a copy of your transcripts.

OR

C. A combination of qualifying specialized experience and education as described in A or B above. To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required. Then determine your qualifying education as a percentage of the required education. The two percentages must equal at least 100% of the Basic Qualification. Note: only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelors degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. You must submit a copy of your transcripts.

IMPORTANT: Your resume must clearly show how you meet all aspects of the specialized experience defined above, or you will be found not qualified for this position.

EDUCATION

Copies of transcripts are acceptable for application purposes; if selected, official transcripts are required.

All qualifying education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You can verify accreditation at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Foreign Education: You can receive credit for education earned outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited educational institution, or that full credit has been given by an accredited institution in the United States. For more information, see http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

It is your responsibility to provide evidence that educational provisions are met when applying.

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS (conditions of employment)

Must apply for Government travel charge card if expected to travel on official business.

Direct deposit of salary payment.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the Category Rating and Selection Procedures.

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, your evaluation will be based on a review of your complete application package and the extent to which your responses to the Questionnaire relate to the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below:

•Knowledge of the basic principles of biological sciences pertaining to fisheries and aquatic habitat conservation or management.
•Knowledge of survey methods and sampling techniques used to collect fish and habitat data for scientific studies.
•Skill in using specialized gear and equipment to collect fishery and aquatic habitat data.

•Ability to compile, organize, and summarize biological data using databases, spreadsheets and other types of software.

To preview the Questionnaire, click View Assessment Questions.

We will then place you in one of three categories:
Qualified:  Meets minimum qualifications established for the position, but fails to meet the benchmark definition for the Well Qualified category
Well Qualified: Demonstrates overall competency in the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position.
Best Qualified: Demonstrates high proficiency and comprehensive level of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position.

Please make sure that your responses to the questionnaire are supported in your resume. Also, follow all instructions carefully as errors and omissions may affect your score.

Note: If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is apparent in your description of experience and/or education, OR that your application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.

Application of Veterans’ Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veterans’ preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.

BENEFITS:

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The Federal government offers a number of exceptional benefits to its employees.

Most Federal employees earn both annual and sick leave. For additional information, visit  Leave Administration.

Temporary employees are not eligible for life or health insurance. If your appointment is extended beyond 1 year, health insurance is available; however, you will pay the full cost.

You will earn Social Security credit while working with the government.

OTHER INFORMATION:

HOW TO APPLY:

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To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
Your complete Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM (EASTERN STANDARD TIME)Thursday, September 18, 2014.

*To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the Occupational Questionnaire.
*Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
*It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

*To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

*To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement.  You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

Ensure your application materials DO NOT include your date-of-birth or contain photograph(s).
For this job announcement, the following documents are required:

1. Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary.  USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.
2. Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
3. Transcripts, if required or if qualifying based on education. Copies are acceptable but, if selected, you will be required to provide official transcripts.
4. If claiming veteran’s preference, proof of eligibility (Member 4 copy of DD-214 or equivalent, SF-15 and VA letter, as appropriate); See http://www.fedshirevets.gov/

5.  Proof of eligibility for priority placement as a surplus or displaced Federal employee under the Career Transition Assistance Program / Interagency Career Transition Program, if applicable.  You must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for this position. See http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap.

Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents:

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.

If you completed the Occupational questionnaire online and are unable to upload supporting document(s):

1. To fax your documents, you must use this cover page and provide the required information. The vacancy ID is 1207744.

2. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

If you cannot complete the Application Package online, you may fax all of your materials. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on close date to receive consideration. Keep a copy of your fax confirmation in the event verification is needed.

To complete the Occupational Questionnaire and submit via fax:

1. Click the following link to view and print the Occupational Questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaire

2. Print the 1203FX form, follow the instructions and provide your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf

3. Fax your completed 1203FX form along with any supporting documents to 478-757-3144.

If you do not submit all the required materials, we will not be able to fully process your application, and you may lose consideration for this position. No additional information will be solicited or accepted after the closing date.

If you have any problems submitting your application, contact the online help at ApplicationManagerHelpDesk@opm.gov.

If you have questions about the vacancy, contact Human Resources at the phone number or email address listed below and reference R1-14-1207744-MS.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Mary Anne Szulist
Phone: (503)231-6136
Email: MARYANNE_SZULIST@FWS.GOV

Agency Information:
US Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon
911 NE 11th Ave
Portland, OR
97232

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

After you’ve successfully submitted the online Occupational Questionnaire, you will automatically receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt. After the vacancy closes, your application will be reviewed. Within approximately 20 business days, we will notify you of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.

REMINDER: It is your responsibility to maintain access to your e-mail account; undelivered e-mails may cause you to lose consideration or not receive information about your application. Be sure to include your full name and vacancy number (R1-14-1207744-MS) in any inquiries regarding this job. Let us know if your contact information changes, or you decide you no longer wish to be considered for the position. If we’re unable to contact you, or you do not respond to requests for information, it may be grounds for not selecting you.