Fish Biologist

Summary

You will serve as a Fish Biologist with US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Quilcene National Fish Hatchery, operating since 1911 on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, raises Coho Salmon for Tribal Trust needs and local fisheries. It is co-managed by four Klallam and Skokomish Tribes.

You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

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Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Performs a variety of operational tasks and applies standard methods and practices relating to daily hatchery operational activities including fish culture activities, disease control, collection, care, treatment, and spawning of broodstock; incubation of eggs; feeding, cleaning, and sample counting of fry and fingerlings; cleaning of raceways and tanks; distribution of eggs, fry, and fingerlings; and working cooperatively with the tagging and marking programs. Takes on a lead-role in fish-culture activities.
• Conducts visual and microscopic examinations of fish for diseases and parasites. Identifies issues and makes recommendations regarding appropriate course of action. As directed, administers prophylactic and therapeutic treatment for control of fish diseases. Maintains electronic records and generates reports of ongoing hatchery operation activities including feeding records; water quality; incidence of disease/stress and treatment; brood stock inventory; and production records.
• Assists the Hatchery Manager with a variety of technical and administrative duties associated with hatchery management and operations, e.g. assists with the development of annual hatchery reports detailing all station operations, resource issues, hatchery production, planning, facility and infrastructure management and maintenance, safety, training, budget, partnerships, outreach, public relations, and resource needs.
• Operates, maintains, repairs and modifies installed equipment and related systems throughout the hatchery including in the office, laboratory, quarters, and related buildings. Inspects equipment and systems for safe and proper operation; identifies the need for and plans repair and maintenance following manufacturer's technical manuals and guidance. Activities include regular preventive maintenance to ensure proper equipment operation and necessary repairs to ensurecontinued operation.
• Assists with the implementation of the hatchery outreach program by providing tours, maintaining the hatchery visitor center, and conducting events on and off-site to promote access to public resources, the conservation of species and habitats, and the mission of the USFWS.
• Responds to alarms as necessary to maintain health and safety of staff, real property, and aquatic life on station. Mandatory participation in after-hours alarm response program on a weekly rotating basis with the requirement to respond to alarms outside of a normal work schedule. When assigned duty, must remain within a distance that permits response to any alarms within a minimum of 15 minutes.

Requirements

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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 .

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Occupancy of government quarters is required.
• Government quarters are available.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

Relocation Incentive

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.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification.

1. A degree with a major in biological science that includes 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
2. A 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 in the animal sciences, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Minimum Qualification [GS-09]

1. One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: (1) performing standardized fish husbandry techniques and practices on cold-water fish species; (2) monitoring water quality and performing maintenance on fish hatchery equipment; (3) generating reports on hatchery operations; (4) maintaining and coordinating repairs/modifications to facilities; (5) participation in planning, budgeting, and procurement related to facilities, systems, and equipment. OR
2. Two years of progressively higher-level graduate-level education leading to a master's degree OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree with a major study in or directly related to fisheries and/or aquatics. OR
3. A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement

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.

Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically,

i. Area of Consideration.

ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.

iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probation 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.

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 programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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.

Physical Demands: The work is often strenuous requiring physical exertion, e.g. walking long distances over wet and uneven surfaces,bending, stooping, stretching, lifting, and carrying items that weigh up to 50 pounds. Above average agility, dexterity and physical coordination are required to perform fine and precise work, delicate adjustments or exact measurements.

Work Environment: The work is performed in a normal office setting and outdoors. Outdoor work is performed in a wide variety of environmental conditions and locations and during all seasons, and may involve activities on vessels, exposure to hazards found in the wild and long exposure to water of various temperatures and currents. Response to alarms indicating mechanical equipment or water supply failure frequently interrupts sleep and may require long hours of physical effort such as removing ice and debris from water supply intake, brushing pond screens, or repairing the

mechanical screen cleaner. The incumbent is responsible for performing the duties of this position in a safe and orderly manner and in accordance with Service policy.

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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.

Benefits

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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.