WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST

This position is assigned to a state, area or field office in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This is a developmental position designed to prepare the incumbent to assume the full scope of the target position, Wildlife Biologist, GS-0468-12.

The incumbent is to provide leadership and technical guidance in conservation planning and application, technology development and transfer, training, and quality assurance to all offices within the assigned area of responsibility.

Qualifications:

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

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Please note that this job opportunity announcement is only open to current Career/Career-Conditional employees of the FPAC, CTAP/RPL eligibles, and Farm Service Agency permanent county employees. If you do not possess this status, you will not receive consideration.

Time In Grade Requirement: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No Award or General Adjustment SF-50's will be accepted).

Basic Education Requirement:
Degree: Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in 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. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify your education;

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Courses 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify education.

Applicants who meet the Basic Education Requirement meet the minimum qualification requirement for the GS-05 level.

In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered:

Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Serving as technical expert on wildlife biology and soil and vegetative interpretations;
• Coordinating wildlife, aquatic, upland, and wetland resource activities to achieve program consistency; and
• Establishing and maintaining contacts regarding wildlife and wetland issues with officials both internal and external to the agency.

(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

OR

Education: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in biological sciences. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify education.

OR

Combination: Combination of the above-described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% when combined. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of two years (36 semester hours) may be combined with specialized experience. NOTE: You must submit transcripts to verify education.

GS-12

Specialized Experience: One or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Serving as technical expert on wildlife biology and soil and vegetative interpretations;
• Coordinating wildlife, aquatic, upland and wetland resource activities to achieve program consistency;
• Establishing and maintaining contacts regarding wildlife and wetland issues with officials both internal and external to the agency; and
• Providing policy guidance to professionals involved in the planning, design, and implementation of a natural resource program.

(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

Note: There is no education substitution for the GS-12 level.

The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

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.