Biological Science Technician (Fish)

Summary These positions are for a Biological Science Technician (Fish), GS- 0404-5/6 working in one of the following locations for the R5-Lower Great Lakes F and W Conservation Office. 1 vacancy - Basom, New York 1 vacancy - Williamstown, West Virginia This position is also open to status candidates under announcement R5-25-12638004-GM-MP.You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods. Learn more about this agency Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation Driver's License: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position. Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform is required. Probationary Period: Selectees may be required to successfully complete a probationary period. Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov. Qualifications Only experience and education obtained by 01/02/2025 will be considered. In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification. Minimum Qualification [GS-5] One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-4 in the Federal service. Experience must include 1)Assisting with the deployment and retrieval of traditional fisheries gear such as trawls, fyke nets (gill net, dip-net, seine) and/or backpack or boat mounted electro-fishing equipment in large lakes or rivers; 2)Working on large lakes and rivers from a boat; and 3)Recording and entering biological data using basic software and operating systems. OR Have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses have been directly related to the position to be filled. OR A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement Minimum Qualification [GS-6] One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-5 in the Federal service. Experience must include 1)Assisting with the maintenance and operation of a variety of standard field sampling gear for fish and invertebrates (such as fyke nets, gill nets, electrofishing, hoop nets, trawl net, seine nets, ponar grab); 2)Assisting with operation and maintenance of vessels (20-25ft in length) including trailering; 3)Entering data using basic software and operating systems including some geospatial applications (ArcGIS, R); 4) Assisting with the review and interpretation of scientific information including journal articles, reports, and technical papers; and 5)Assisting with implementation of invasive species prevention strategies. OR Possess one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related to the position. OR 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. 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 PCS INFORMATION: -No PCS entitlements authorized TELEWORK: -This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 85 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. 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 and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 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. 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: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire Read more Benefits 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 window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our 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.