Biological Science Technician

Summary This position is a Biological Science Technician, GS-0404-5/6, duty station in Sasabe, Arizona, for the R2-Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. This position is also open to status candidates under announcement R2-25-12621391-ALM-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 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 12/10/2024 will be considered. In order to qualify for this position, you must possess Minimum Qualifications. Minimum Qualifications GS-05: A. One (1) year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-04 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience may include: 1) Captive animal care and husbandry practices; 2) Assisting with the preparation, maintenance, and use of equipment; 3) Accomplishing field assessments, recording information in legible form; 4) Assisting with pairing specific animals for breeding, providing food and water to captive animals, observing captive animals for signs of illness or distress and reporting observations to supervisor, and participating in captive rearing activities; and 5) Assisting with preparing plans and presentations. OR B. Successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a 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 must have been directly related to the work of the position, such as avian ecology, ornithology, wildlife management (birds). OR C. A combination of experience and education as described in A and B above which, when combined, is equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Minimum Qualifications GS-06: A. One (1) year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-05 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience may include: 1) Caring and feeding through all life stages of captive birds; 2) Recording and monitoring captive bird health, maintain and update location of specific individuals in a captive setting, maintain and improve captive care infrastructure, equipment, and grounds; 3) Rearing, distribution, and maintenance of eggs, chicks, yearlings, and adults; 4) Collecting, processing, and inventorying eggs; and 5) Following established care procedures, assisting in performing routine health assessments including: providing medication as scheduled and directed by supervisor and/or veterinarian and collecting biological samples. OR B. Successfully completed one (1) year of progressively higher-level graduate education (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) in biological sciences, with course work directly related to the work of the position, such as avian ecology, ornithology, wildlife management (birds). OR C. A combination of experience and education as described in A and B above which, when combined, is equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful course work completion, as listed above, with a major in the appropriate field. NOTE: You must submit copies of all transcripts that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university and your resume must contain sufficient detail, (e.g., begin/end dates, hours worked per week, duties performed, etc.) for each timeframe for consideration. 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. Additional Vacancies:One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area. 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: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process. 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 not suitable for telework. Promotion Potential: Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Selectee may be promoted without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. 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. 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.