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Fish Biologist / Hydrologist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located on Mio Ranger District of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Mio, MI.

This is a Zone position and has responsibility for planning, administering, and providing professional expertise in fisheries and hydrology programs on two Districts.

For more information, please contact Andrea Ania Fisheries Program Manager at andrea.ania@usda.gov or 231-942-4963; or Ben Wiese at benjamin.wiese@usda.gov or 989-739-0728 x3002.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/10/2020 to 07/14/2020
Salary
$52,905 to - $52,905 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
Mio, MI
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may for site visits, meetings or training may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
20-R9SVADEC-0921-707379DP
Control number
572836600

Duties

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  • Duties are listed at the Full Performance Level (GS-11).
  • Develops plans and provides input related to the protection and management of water resources and water resource restoration.
  • Provide recommendations relating to stream and lake habitat management, including streamside and riparian area management and in-channel work.
  • Develops watershed, stream, and road related restoration priorities for out-year projects.
  • Provides input into designs for road drainage and fish passage projects, including stream simulation design for fish passage culverts.
  • Independently conducts or directs surveys of the water resources for the Zone.
  • Leads hydrologic studies and investigations (collecting and interpreting water quality data and stream flow data).
  • Maintains technical skills and stay apprised of new developments in fisheries research and management techniques.
  • Compiles consultation documents for any project that could have an impact on threatened or endangered fish species or listed fish habitat.
  • Writes Biological Assessments (BAs) for a variety of project types ranging from recreation projects to complex timber sales.
  • Leads writing of aquatics and hydrologic specialist reports for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents.
  • Prepares technical progress and final reports, presenting results of monitoring administrative studies, surveys, and other activities relating to fish habitat and watershed management.
  • Responsible for aquatic target reporting for fish, watershed, and integrated targets.
  • Provides leadership in the development and implementation of fish and water resource programs for the Zone.
  • Leads Zone aquatic work plan development, monitoring, and reporting.
  • Develops a diverse program focusing on restoration, partnerships, collaboration, monitoring, and community outreach.
  • Represents the Forest Service in partnerships and collaboration efforts related to the design, implementation, and monitoring of aquatic restoration projects.

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 or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series listed below.

Basic Requirement:GS-0482:
Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological science that included at least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; and at least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.)
OR
Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

GS-1315:
Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in physical or natural science, or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in any combination of courses in hydrology, the physical sciences, geophysics, chemistry, engineering science, soils, mathematics, aquatic biology, atmospheric science, meteorology, geology, oceanography, or the management or conservation of water resources. The course work must have included at least 6 semester hours in calculus (including both differential and integral calculus), and at least 6 semester hours in physics. Calculus and physics, as described above, are requirements for all grade levels.
OR
Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.Acceptable experience must have included performance of scientific functions related to the study of water resources, based on and requiring a professional knowledge of related sciences and the consistent application of basic scientific principles to the solution of theoretical and practical hydrologic problems. The following is illustrative of acceptable experience: field or laboratory work that would require application of hydrologic theory and related sciences such as geology, geo-chemistry, geophysics, or civil engineering to making observations, taking samples, operating instruments, assembling data from source materials, analyzing and interpreting data, and reporting findings orally and in writing. In some cases, professional scientific experience that is not clearly water resource experience may be acceptable if such experience was preceded by appropriate education in hydrology or by professional hydrology experience.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-9 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level; Examples of specialized experience are: Assisted in implementing well-established hydrology / fisheries / watershed projects; Collected field data on fish habitats and other aquatic resources for preparation of maps and management plans using all types of sampling equipment; Conducted hydrologic studies/aquatic habitat/fish inventories and analyzed data and prepared comprehensive reports on the resource; Assisted in the assessment of water resource capability and suitability and identifying goals, issues, and concerns for water resource management; Written Biological Assessments (BA's), Categorical Exclusions (CE's) or similar documents for a variety of projects ranging from recreation projects to routine timber sales.

OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related;

OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

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.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level. Transcripts must be submitted with application.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

This position is being concurrently announced under Merit Promotion Announcement Number 20-R9SVADEC-0921-707379G-JD. Current or former Federal employees or other eligible applicants may apply to both announcements to expand all possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, IAMAW.

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing is not available.

This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.

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.

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10856371

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