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This vacancy announcement is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Regional Hiring Initiative to fill professional biological science/natural resource management positions at the GS-7 and 9 grade levels. One or more positions may be filled at various locations. YOU MUST APPLY FOR ALL OF THE DUTY STATIONS FOR WHICH YOU ARE INTERESTED.
As a Fish and Wildlife Biologist you will be working closely with other groups (Federal, state, tribal, commercial industry, surrounding landowners, etc.) to conduct environmental impact assessments, process permits, develop fish and wildlife management plans, and ensure the preservation, protection and enhancement of native fish and wildlife and their habitats.
The Carlsbad and Sacramento duty locations each have one position focused on plant conservation. The incumbent serves as a staff Botanist providing scientific oversight and direction for plant conservation, with responsibilities that range from a focus on ecosystem-wide issues to individual species or projects. Such ecosystem work includes shaping the direction of plant conservation throughout the jurisdiction, including policies, practices, and philosophies; ensuring consistency of Service plant conservation activities; providing technical advice and guidance to staff regarding conservation and management of plants and plant communities, serving as a technical authority for contacts with agencies and other outside parties; and evaluating program progress and success. The incumbent may play a lead or support role in all Endangered Species Act work, including prelisting conservation, petition management, listing/delisting, recovery, habitat conservation plans, recovery permits, and conservation banking.
Pay Advance: Advance payment of up to 4 weeks of basic pay based on employee salary at time of hire is authorized for newly appointed federal employees to the Federal Service, or employees returning to Federal Service after a break in service of 90 days or more.
Salary: The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables may be found at Locality Pay Tables. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2018/general-schedule/
This announcement is being advertised concurrently under R8-18-10201322-KL-DE is open to all qualified recently graduated students. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.
05/17/2018 to 05/31/2018
$41,365 - $74,444 per year
GS 7 - 9
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-Time
11
No
R8-18-10201321-KL-MP
499848200
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
Federal Employee, Merit Promotion, Status candidate, Land Management, 30% disabled, Military Spouse, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Vista, VRA, VEOA, ICTAP, Schedule A, Individuals with disabilities, Former Overseas Employees
Plans, evaluates, and conducts a ecological investigations or inspections involving land and water resource development projects, proposals and/or license applications/renewals to determine their impact upon fish and/or wildlife resources and habitats and to ensure that legal standards and other requirements are met and implemented in a manner most beneficial to fish and/or wildlife resources.
Reviews and/or prepares biological portions of environment assessment/impact statements or comprehensive resource planning reports to evaluate environmental consequences of proposed actions on Federal fish and wildlife resources of concern.
Conducts private land wetland impact restorations including landowner contacts, mapping, surveying, staking, construction monitoring, seeding, etc., and prepares management plans for restored areas.
Evaluates biological data and Federal program or project operational data to determine the effects of those programs or actions on threatened or endangered species through formal and informal consultation procedures.
Assesses impacts of proposed Federal actions on threatened and endangered species and develops draft biological opinions required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments for supervisor's review.
Maintains and updates files on permits issued for activities associated with endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats.
Develops, coordinates, or reviews plans that may encompass any and all programs that affect fish and/or wildlife and their habitat conditions including, but not limited to, fire management, moist soil management, cooperative farming, wetland management, water quantity/quality, timber/forestry, or grassland management and/or restoration.
Plans, organizes, and implements biological work and/or habitat preservation and development work. Prepares reports on progress and completion of studies, uses data to formulate future program recommendations and effect improvements in management practices.
Maintains contact and communication with biologists throughout the assigned Region and with other agencies (Federal, Tribal, and state) that have endangered species programs. Provides technical biological guidance to requestors implementing programs for the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species.
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
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 suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
The following conditions of employment may apply to the advertised positions.
- Drug testing
- Motorboat certification
- Required to wear US Fish and Wildlife Service uniform
- State pesticide license
- Work schedule may include weekends/holidays/evenings
- Extensive travel may be required
- Swift water Safety Certification
- Occupy government furnished housing/quarter on federal premises
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:
Current appointees:
Note: You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA.
Former appointees:
Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority:
Note: You must provide a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Compliance Hiring Based for Public Land Corps Service.
(1) In order to be eligible for PLC non-competitive status, a former member of the PLC must provide documentation, as part of their application, verifying their eligibility and meet the following criteria:
(a) 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;
(b) Applied to a vacancy announcement for which applications are being accepted from individuals with non-competitive status;
(c) Meet the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) minimum qualification standards stated in the vacancy announcement for the position which you are applying; and
(d) Completed his/her most recent Corps service, which provided him/her with a total of 640 hours, inclusive of 120 hours on a PLC project as defined in 16 USC 1723(d), within the last two (2) years.
(2) Appointments must be effected within the two years requirement.
(3) The two year time-frame cannot be extended.
(4) Selectees will be subject to a probationary period.
(5) This authority may be used for General Schedule and Federal Wage System positions.
(6) Competitive service appointments may be made for temporary, term or permanent positions.
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):
- Knowledge of the principles, concepts and theories in fish and/or wildlife biology and a working familiarity with related disciplines to determine the effect of land and water development projects on the fish and/or wildlife resources of an area.
- Skill and diplomacy in coordinating activities with other agencies and organizations; ability to exercise tact and diplomacy in official association with Federal, state, and local agencies, and with private organizations and individuals.
- Skill in verbal and written communications to present data and to write objective reports requiring a minimum of reviewing and editing.
- Knowledge of the concepts, principles, methodologies, and practices of conservation biology and ecology in order to provide a critical review of listing, delisting, critical habitat and special rule documents.
- Knowledge of applicable Federal environmental laws and Executive Orders, (i.e., Endangered Species Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Acts, etc.).
- Knowledge of the habitat and life history requirements of fish and wildlife species to evaluate Federal projects, actions, and programs in relation to their effects on the subject species, wetlands, migrating birds and other trust resources.
- Knowledge of and skill in planning and conducting complex inspections of existing projects to ensure that legal standards and other requirements are met and implemented in a manner most beneficial to fish and/or wildlife resources.
Career Transition Assistance Program Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) : These programs apply to employees who have been or may be involuntarily separated (e.g. reduction in force, declining to relocate/transfer outside their local commuting area) from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet ICTAP or CTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal or Removal Notice; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; or Removal and most recent performance appraisal.). For more information visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
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.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/499848200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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