Biologist

Summary

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery located in Riverdale, North Dakota.

Rate of Pay

GS-09 - $61,722 - $80,243

GS-11 - $74,678 - $97,087

Pay may vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

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Duties

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We are seeking motivated applicants with strong biological and analytical skills, sound professional judgment, and a commitment to teamwork to support fisheries conservation and enhancement in the Missouri River Basin. Successful candidates will possess a firm grounding in fisheries science, excellent interpersonal communication abilities, and the initiative, integrity, and adaptability needed to contribute to a collaborative hatchery program supporting nationally recognized walleye fisheries. Other species raised at Garrison Dam include northern pike, chinook salmon, pallid sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, burbot, rainbow trout, brown trout, and tiger trout.

At the full performance level (GS-11), the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Responsible for directing and accomplishing daily hatchery operational activities to accommodate hatchery requests for a variety of coolwater species.
• Assist with spawning and propagation of coldwater and conservation species.
• Administer fish health surveys to control disease outbreaks and monitors the use of investigational new drugs.
• Maintain water quality parameters to maximize production efficiency.
• Operational activities such as administrative procedures and reports, general hatchery administration, and maintenance activities.
• Plans, schedules, and conduct projects throughout the hatchery facilities, grounds, and equipment.
• Conducts various hatchery studies and evaluations. Is familiar with the propagational activities and fish cultural requirements of the wide variety of species reared at this station.
• Performs duties involving most phases of hatchery management, including planning extensive incubation schedules, developing ponds production schedules, daily pond information updating on computer software, and creating annual fish culture reports for a sixty-four pond facility.
• Computing and recording conversion rates and other dietary/growth information, observing and reporting results of treatments, preparing fish for shipment or distribution, and being state certified for the application of pesticides and chemicals (training provided if applicant does not have certification).
• Supervise and conduct hatchery effluent water quality monitoring to correlate with State Pollution Discharge Permit. Maintain water treatment system for the hatchery and residences.
• Responds to requests from the media, interested groups and/or leadership regarding the hatchery. Prepares correspondence in response to public inquiries and/or responds to interested fishery or other conservational groups.
• Perform routine hatchery operations required for safe and efficient operation, including operation of hatchery water systems, pumps, valves, feeders, alarms and other equipment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Physical Demands: The work involves a substantial amount of field work. When engaged in field activities, the work is at times strenuous, requiring exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities. The work requires average agility and dexterity. Travel to remote study sites may be required via boats, small aircraft, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and/or on foot. Extended periods of camping in tents or cabins in remote field camps may occur. Incumbent must be able to cope with the pressure of short time deadlines, responsibilities of logistics to remote areas, cultural conflicts, and adverse weather conditions. The incumbent may be required to lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment: The work requires both office and outdoor work. The office is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. Frequent travel by various means of surface and air transportation is required to attend meetings and to conduct field work. A variety of temperature and weather extremes may be encountered while in the field. The incumbent may be subject to large numbers of biting insects and may be required to work in close proximity to large animals such as deer, elk, bear and moose. He/she may need to carry a firearm for personal protection from wildlife. In addition, the incumbent may be exposed to work situations involving hazardous substances, and must comply with Service health and safety policies, including appropriate safety clothing and equipment. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow workers, or property.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/03/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following basic education and minimum qualification requirements:

Basic Educational Requirements : In addition to the minimum qualification requirements for this position listed below, you must meet at least one of the following:

• A. Degree: Successfully completed a full four-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 sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
• B. Combination of education and experience: course work equivalent to a major (i.e., 24 semester hours) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a discipline closely related to biology; PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above.

-AND-

In addition to meeting the basic education requirements above, to qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience which includes, but is not limited to the following: manage assigned culture units (ponds, tanks, raceways) including feeding regimes, water quality monitoring, and routine adjustments; conduct broodstock handling, gamete processing, egg incubation, and fry rearing independently using established protocols; perform fish health observations, administer basic treatments, and document results accurately; maintain biological, water quality, fish health, and growth datasets with precision; prepare routine summaries or updates for project leads and apply findings to assigned culture units; and collect, organize, analyze, and summarize biological, production, environmental, and water quality data. You must include hours per week worked in your resume to receive credit for experience.

OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited educational institution concentrated in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as in biological sciences, agriculture, botany, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. You must include transcripts to receive credit for education.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience . For example, applicants with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to the GS-7 (50% of the experience requirement), and 27 semester hours (50 percent of the education requirement to qualify for GS-9, in excess of that required for GS-7) would be qualifying for the GS-9 grade level (assuming one year of graduate education is defined by the college or university as 18 semester hours). You must include transcripts.

-AND-

In addition to meeting the basic education requirements above, to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience which includes, but is not limited to the following: troubleshoot hatchery systems when functionality needs to be restored; lead broodstock spawning, gamete handling, fertilization, incubation, fry start, rearing, and grow-out using advanced methods.; manage genetic integrity through accurate family-lot recordkeeping, data verification, and error prevention; analyze trends across biological, water quality, fish health, and growth datasets; produce technical reports and adjust facility production plans or propagation schedules based on data-driven findings; lead stocking, pond management, loading, fish and egg shipments, and transport; coordinate fieldwork including harvest and shipment scheduling; communicate and review biological work of interns, volunteers and entry-level staff. You must include hours per week worked in your resume to receive credit for experience.

OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in an accredited educational institution concentrated in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as in biological sciences, agriculture, botany, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience . Note: only education in excess of the first two years of graduate-level education (the amount required for the next lower grade level) may be combined with experience to meet the total requirement. For example, applicants with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to the GS-9 (50% of the experience requirement), and 45 semester hours (50 percent of the education requirement to qualify for GS-11, in excess of that required for GS-9) would be qualifying for the GS-11 grade level. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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

This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

You may be required to work on-call, evenings, holidays, overtime and shift work. Weekend work is required on a rotating schedule with other employees.

You may be required to occasionally travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.

All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval following agency policy.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.