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Biological Science Technician (Fisheries)

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

Summary

This is a full-time, temporary position not to exceed 1,039 hours of work with the Region 3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Positions will be filled at Marquette and Manistee, Michigan

Applicants will identify which duty location they wish to be considered for when completing the application process.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/28/2018 to 01/10/2019
Salary
$29,847 to - $38,798 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Locations
Manistee, MI
Many vacancies
Marquette, MI
Many vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
76% or greater - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 hours
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Drug test
No
Announcement number
R3-18-10375861-KO-DE
Control number
519957300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, CTAP, ICTAP

Duties

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As a Biological Science Technician (Fisheries) you will be responsible for:

  • Assisting professional Fish Biologists and higher graded Technicians in work that may involve chemical treatment of streams to destroy sea lamprey larvae.
  • Controlling sea lampreys through the use of barriers, trapping and release of pheromones.
  • Monitoring population levels of lampreys in their larval, parasitic and spawning phases to assess the success of treatments and the need for future control strategies.
  • Documenting biological changes in the life history of sea lamprey.
FORMAL TRAINING FOR THIS POSITION WILL BEGIN: MONDAY, APRIL 01, 2019 AT MANISTEE AND MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019 AT MARQUETTE; HOWEVER, EMPLOYMENT MUST BEGIN NO LATER THAN MAY 01, 2019.

Physical Capability: Much of the work is performed in a field environment, and involves arduous labor. The incumbent is required to be in excellent physical condition and capable of rigorous outdoor activities, including safely hiking over wet, rough, steep, slippery or rocky terrain. Work requires frequent bending, stooping, walking, standing, working in cramped positions, climbing, and prolonged standing on concrete floors. Duties of the position occasionally require driving on unimproved roads, considerable walking on steep terrain (80 percent or more), working in water with boots or waders, walking through or working in heavily timbered areas (sometimes walking 5 or more miles), at times carrying heavy packs, lifting and moving objects over 50 pounds, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, climbing, or other similar activities. The field work takes place outdoors during all seasons of the year, often under adverse weather conditions, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 100 degrees (F), and in very dry to rainy and snowy conditions. Field work is performed during the daytime, night, weekends, and holidays. The nature of the work requires an adequate sense of sight and hearing to safely perform the duties. Work requires the incumbent to wear potentially uncomfortable safety equipment, including a negative pressure respirator sometimes in excess of 8 hours.

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
  • Medical Requirements
  • Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform required
  • This position requires lifting, standing, physical labor, and outdoor work
  • Pre-employment physical and capability testing is required

Qualifications

Only experience and education obtained by 01/10/2019 will be considered.

You may qualify at the GS-04 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements:
Have at least 6 months of general experience that (1) demonstrated your ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation; AND have at least 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-03 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrated your ability to participate in the research, conservation, production, and management of fishes, or fishery resources, or in the determination, establishment and application of biological facts, methods, techniques, and procedures necessary for research, conservation and management of fishes and other aquatic animals, such as crustaceans and mollusks, where the work does not principally involve management responsibility for fishery activities.; OR
Completed 2 years above high school that included at least 12 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 the position to be filled (fisheries/aquatics).; OR
Have a combination of education and experience as listed above that includes 12 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture or mathematics, of which at least 6 semester hours of courses were directly related to fisheries or aquatics, and relevant work experience.

TEMPORARY 1039: This is a full-time temporary position not-to-exceed 1 year that will total less than 1040 hours (6 months), excluding overtime in a service year. The service year is the calendar year that begins on the date of the employee's initial appointment in the agency. These appointments may be extended from year to year. Extensions of appointment without further competition may be granted based on work needs, funding, or any other condition of employment. The employee may be terminated or placed on an intermittent work schedule (no pre-scheduled tour of duty) at any time.

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

Career Transition Assistance 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 CTAP or ICTAP 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 CTAP or ICTAP 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 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 01/10/2019. 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 A PCS move is not authorized.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: You must pass a pre-employment medical examination. Also, you may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if you are maintaining the fitness standards for this position. Also, you will be subject to exposure specific medical surveillance testing before and after field seasons.
DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times
during your tenure.

Retention is subject to satisfactory completion of a physical capability test immediately after entering on duty. The physical capability test will simulate the lifting, carrying, and emptying of containers of lampricide (TFM, 50lbs). Failure to satisfactorily complete this physical capability test may result in the incumbent being terminated from his/her employment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Extensive overnight travel (20 or more nights per month) is required during an April to October field season. Government housing is not available at permanent duty location.

New employees will be required to travel on official business and apply for a Government travel charge card within 30 days of their appointment. Inability to clear the credit check required to obtain a Government travel charge card may result in removal from the position.

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):

  • Knowledge of the techniques and methods of fisheries science.
  • Ability to operate and maintain a variety of trucks, watercraft, and all terrain vehicles.
  • Knowledge of scientific methods of measurement.
  • Skill in keeping detailed and precise records, and preparing routine reports.
  • Skill in using tools to perform minor repairs to equipment and for navigation.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The category ratings for this position are:

Best Qualified
Well Qualified
Qualified

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the basic qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).


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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