Summary You will serve as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, Virginia Ecological Services Field Office working in Gloucester, Virginia.
Pay will vary based on grade level for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
Salary Range: GS-09: Step 1: $62,640 - Step 10: $81,436
GS11: Step 1: $75,788 - Step 10: $98,530
Learn more about this agency Duties Help
At the full performance level (GS-11) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
- Coordinates and facilitates activities pursuant to sections 4,6,7,8, and 10 of the Endangered Species Act.
- Inspects projects for compliance with policies, standards, guidelines, agreements, and plans; provides recommendations for action to ensure Endangered Species Act compliance.
- Drafts concurrence letters, technical assistance correspondence, and Biological Opinions for signature of the Field Office Supervisor.
- Coordinates wide ranging initiatives involving other Federal and state agencies, organizations, and the public in fully implementing Endangered Species Act programs.
- Plans and conducts status surveys for both listed and candidate species, in cooperation with other Federal and state agency personnel, private organization representatives, and contractors; negotiates agreements for status surveys with prospective contractors and personnel of cooperating agencies.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
Requirements Help
Conditions of employment - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- 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
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
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 - 09/28/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted.
An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience . For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.
Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Educational Requirement
AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.
Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:
A.
Degree : Possess a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must submit transcripts.
-OR-
B.
Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
-AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: A. Experience : To qualify, 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). Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include: 1) Assisting with coordination of activities pursuant to sections 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 of the Endangered Species Act, including gathering biological or habitat information used in consultation documents. 2) Supporting inspections of projects for compliance with ESA policies, standards, guidelines, agreements, and plans; documenting observations and recommending corrective actions under the guidance of senior staff. 3) Contributing to the drafting of concurrence letters, technical assistance correspondence, and sections of Biological Opinions by compiling data, summarizing biological information, and reviewing draft content for accuracy. 4) Assisting in multi-agency coordination by preparing materials for meetings, tracking action items, and communicating with other Federal or state agencies, organizations, or the public regarding ESA program implementation. 5) Participating in status surveys for listed or candidate species alongside Federal/state personnel or contractors, including collecting field data and helping organize agreements or logistical materials.. You must include hours per week worked. -OR-
B. 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. -OR-
C. Combination of education and experience as listed above.
-AND/OR- To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:
A. Experience : To qualify, 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). Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include: 1) Coordinating and facilitating activities under ESA sections 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 with limited supervision, including independently interpreting policy requirements and advising partners on compliance needs. 2) Conducting inspections of proposed or ongoing projects for ESA compliance; evaluating findings, drafting recommendations, and identifying measures needed to ensure adherence to policies, standards, and conservation agreements. 3) Independently drafting concurrence letters, technical assistance correspondence, and Biological Opinions-including evaluating effects, documenting rationale, and preparing materials for Field Office Supervisor signature. 4) Leading coordination of wide-ranging ESA initiatives with Federal and state agencies, organizations, and public stakeholders; serving as a technical advisor during interagency review or consultation processes. 5) Planning and conducting status surveys for listed and candidate species; negotiating survey agreements, organizing multi-agency participation, and evaluating the biological and logistical adequacy of proposed survey approaches. You must include hours per week worked. -OR-
B. Education : Successful completion of at least a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M., if related. Directly related graduate study may include, but is not limited to business administration, accounting, governmental budgeting, and/or public administration. (Three years of graduate education is 54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours).-OR-
C. Combination of education and experience as listed above.
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 does not allow substituting education for experience.
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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:
Additional information Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
Telework: This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to situationally telework with supervisor approval.
PCS: No PCS authorized
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (
All 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, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.
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.
Help
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.
