Wildlife Biologist

Summary

If selected, you will serve as a Wildlife Biologist within Wildlife Services and perform assignments involving project and program delivery, management, and administration with minimal supervision. The work is primarily concerned with wildlife damage management operations relating to the assessment, reduction, and/or elimination of problems associated with wild and/or feral animal species in urban, suburban, and rural environments.

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Duties

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• The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Conducts integrated wildlife damage management activities where needed to prevent or reduce losses to property, agriculture, and natural resources, or to protect human health and safety.
• Performs a variety of technical procedures including capture, restraint, chemical immobilization, marking, transport, euthanasia, and/or necropsy of wildlife.
• Modifies or adapts established damage or disease control techniques as necessary to meet local conditions and environmental, economic, or political considerations.
• Monitors and ensures compliance with program directives, and local, State, and Federal laws and regulations in wildlife damage management activities.
• Develops and maintains categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, monitoring reports, and other documents required by NEPA.
• Gathers, compiles, evaluates, and presents data on damage or hazards caused by various wildlife species to cooperators, stakeholders, and colleagues.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with other Federal, State, county and city government agencies, Tribes, corporations, etc.
• Communicates safe and effective damage management techniques through outreach and other channels to the general public.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• Direct Deposit: 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 at
• Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
• Legal and physical ability to possess and discharge firearms appropriately and safely is required.
• Incumbents must be able to comply with both Federal and State statutory requirements to possess and use firearms in the performance of their duties and must maintain state-mandated firearm use certification requirements.
• To fulfill field or laboratory requirements in this position, proof of specific vaccinations and boosters, may be required as a condition of employment to prevent contracting preventable diseases.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

A. Degree:

Biological science that included: At least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology;

and

At least 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects (Excess courses in wildlife biology may be used to meet the zoology requirements where appropriate.);

and

At least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level) that demonstrates:

• Identifying North American wildlife species and assess their abundance, behavior, and habitats.
• Dealing with human-wildlife conflicts, principles of wildlife damage management.
• Knowledge of The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act.
• The skilled use of firearms, traps, snares, pesticides, immobilizing drugs, pyrotechnics, electronic harassment devices, and other non-lethal control tools.
• Using computers for word processing, spreadsheets, and database applications

OR 1 year of graduate-level education in Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Ecology, Wildlife Management.

OR Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify based on superior academic achievement, you must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution AND 1) have a class standing in the upper third of the graduating class, 2) membership in a national scholastic honor society (excluding Freshman honor societies), or 3) must meet certain GPA requirements. GPA requirements: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on official transcripts or as computed based on 4 years of education, or courses completed during the final 2 year of the curriculum; OR 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required course completed in the major field or courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum (GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, e.g., 2.95 rounds to 3.0 and 2.94 rounds to 2.9).

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:

• This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
• You are qualifying for the position based on education.
• You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
• You are qualifying for this position based on Superior Academic Achievement.
• This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.

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 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional information

• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
• First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
• This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months. (Appointment may be extended up to 4 years without reannouncing). For more details click: Term Appointments
• Promotion Potential: 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 neither implied nor guaranteed.
• 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 here.
• This position involves Mobile Work: Mobile work is characterized by routine and regular travel to conduct work in customer or other worksites as opposed to a single authorized alternative worksite. Examples of mobile work include site audits, site inspections, investigations, property management, and work performed while commuting, traveling between worksites, or on Temporary Duty (TDY).
• May need to operate 4X4 vehicles (including all-terrain and/or utility task vehicles), boats, snow mobiles, or ride horseback over rough terrain and in other off-road environments.
• May also require the incumbent to actively participate in aerial activities as a passenger and/or crew member of a fixed- or rotary-winged aircraft.
• Other physical demands include walking over wet, rough, uneven or rocky surfaces, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, or similar activities.

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.

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.