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Student Trainee

Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

You too can make a difference in our world. The work of the U.S. 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 entitled Meet Your New Boss and Diversity is our Strength.

As a Student Trainee (Wildlife Biological Support), you will be a member of a team of professionals working together to conserve, restore, and protect some of the nation's premier fish and wildlife habitat. You will be responsible for a broad range of duties such as monitoring flora and fauna of grasslands, wetlands, and forests; monitoring and controlling invasive species; and utilizing GIS and GPS technologies. You may also conduct minor maintenance on equipment, grounds and visitor use facilities. Additionally, you may provide information to the public and assist with community outreach programs.
Positions will be filled at:
* Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - Winona District (Winona, MN). Anticipated field season is from May to September. Government housing is available at this location and a service uniform will be required.
* Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - La Crosse District (Onalaska, WI). Anticipated field season is from May to September. Government housing is not available at this location and a service uniform will be required.
* Necedeh National Wildlife Refuge - (Necedah, WI). Anticipated field season is from May to September. Government housing is available at this location.


The Department of the Interior Internship Program (Pathways) is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school and while getting paid for the work performed.
There is no promotion potential for this position.

This position may be terminated at any time or may be extended at management's discretion without further competition if the employee remains eligible for employment in the Pathways Intern Program.

Work hour requirements are full time during the field season. If extended and still eligible for Pathways participation,this position requires the selectee to work a regular work schedule during the school year.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/16/2018 to 01/23/2018
Salary
$29,847 to - $38,798 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Locations
6 vacancies in the following locations:
Winona, MN
Necedah, WI
Onalaska, WI
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple - Multiple Appointment Types
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Announcement number
R3-18-10114933-DL-DE
Control number
488387700

This job is open to

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Duties

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While not all inclusive, the major duties of the position are listed below. The selectee may:

  • Complete routine surveys and censuses of a variety of wildlife and/or waterfowl species.
  • Assist in collecting and recording information on habitat conditions, water level readings, aquatic plant production, etc.
  • Assist in banding of waterfowl and other wildlife species.
  • Assist in the area of public use which may include answering visitor questions, patrolling an area, assisting in a visitor center, and conducting refuge tours.
  • Assist with maintenance and construction work, such as fencing, boundary posting, painting, etc.
  • Assist with repair of dikes, and water control structures, etc., and a variety of other related duties.
  • May be required to operate passenger vehicles, light trucks, and tractors.
  • Assist with wildlife habitat restoration projects to include: wetlands, prairie, brush-lands, forests, and streams.
  • Assist with database entry and management.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
  • Must meet Pathways eligibility requirements
  • Selectee will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement form
  • Valid driver's license required

Only experience and education obtained by 01/23/2018 will be considered.

Qualifications

To be eligible for a Pathways Program internship, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a degree or certificate program on at least a half-time basis and in good standing who will be continuing your education into the next semester and have received a notice of acceptance for enrollment (you are required to submit a copy of your transcript or notice of acceptance).
  • Enrollment must be with an accredited educational institution or state-approved home school. These may include high schools, colleges, universities, technical, trade, vocational, or business schools, and state approved home school secondary and post-secondary programs.
  • Qualifying certificate programs are post-high school programs equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.
Educational institutions must be accredited by organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To see if your school is accredited, please visit: http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

By the closing date of this announcement, all qualification standards must be met.
OPM's Qualification standard: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/final-groupcoveragequalificationstandardforpathwaysprogramschedule-20d.pdf

Education: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associates degree (as determined by the educational institution attending).

OR

Experience: Completion of 6 months general experience and 6 months specialized experience.

General experience is defined as any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: collecting and assembling biological data, assisting in performing biological studies, providing scientific or outdoor recreation information to the general public, assisting in conducting wildlife surveys and assisting in construction/maintenance on habitat restoration projects. (Your resume must include starting and ending dates of employment and the number of hours worked per week.)

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience are also qualifying. To determine if you qualify based on a combination of education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the above requirement; then determine your education as a percentage of the above requirement. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-4.

Special Provisions for Interns with Previous Related Education or Experience: Previous education and/or experience may be evaluated to determine the highest grade level for which the individual is qualified.

Applicants who meet the following eligibility requirement, and provide all documentation by the closing date of the announcement will be considered:
Current students in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate. You must be enrolled in school or accepted for enrollment to participate in the Pathways program. If you will have completed all degree requirements in May of 2018 and do not plan on pursuing additional education, you will be found ineligible for this position.

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

To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

FWS has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework.

We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of 01/23/2018; More than one position may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

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 basic qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the basic qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience 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):

  • Ability to communicate effectively.
  • Knowledge of the wildlife area of biological work and procedures to perform a variety of tasks.
  • Knowledge of the technical terminology used in the fields of wildlife biology and wildlife management to understand detailed assignments and communicate with co-workers.
  • Skill in taking scientific measurements, performing simple mathematical calculations, and keeping detailed records and precise records in order to collect and assemble data.

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 showing you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15," Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" in addition to the proof required by that form.

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