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Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

Employer
USDA, Wildlife Services
Job Description, Responsibilities and Required Qualifications or Skills

Announcement number EL-12974739-26-WSH

Summary

As a Wildlife Biological Science Technician, you will perform duties relating to wildlife management and use of techniques aimed at controlling damage caused by wildlife to help protect agriculture, natural resources, property, and threats to human health and safety.

Duties

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:

  • Inspects and surveys areas and, as necessary, will revise existing WDM programs in close consultation with higher-level management.
  • Assists Wildlife Biologists by correctly identifying current, and forecasting future damage, problems and relating them to the damage-causing species.
  • Modifies or adapts established damage control techniques as necessary to meet local conditions and address specific environmental, economic or political considerations.
  • Enters data into established WDM database/system of record. Uses data to prepare and submit routine reports regarding daily, weekly or monthly activities, observations, and events.
  • Responsible for organizing and conducting direct control operations to reduce wildlife damage within a geographical area or technical/subject area of program involvement.
Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • 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:
  • Inspects and surveys areas and, as necessary, will revise existing WDM programs in close consultation with higher-level management.
  • Assists Wildlife Biologists by correctly identifying current, and forecasting future damage, problems and relating them to the damage-causing species.
  • Modifies or adapts established damage control techniques as necessary to meet local conditions and address specific environmental, economic or political considerations.
  • Enters data into established WDM database/system of record. Uses data to prepare and submit routine reports regarding daily, weekly or monthly activities, observations, and events.
  • Responsible for organizing and conducting direct control operations to reduce wildlife damage within a geographical area or technical/subject area of program involvement.
Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements, to include completing the USAHire assessment, by the date that lists are pulled when new vacancies arise, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

FOR THE GS-5 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-4 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

  • Experience in wildlife damage mitigation methods and techniques.
  • Experience using lethal and non-lethal animal control techniques.
  • Conducting basic computer operations for record keeping, data analysis, report writing and correspondence

OR
Successful completion of 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 scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics, with at least 6 semester hours in wildlife. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

For the GS-6 Grade Level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-5 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, federal) sectors which demonstrates experience in:

  • Dealing with human-wildlife conflicts and principles of wildlife damage management.
  • The requirements of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Endangered Species Act, and National Environment Policy Act.
  • Conducting wildlife damage assessments, counts and abundance surveys.
  • The use of firearms, traps, snares, pesticides, immobilizing drugs, pyrotechnics, electronic harassment devices, and other non-lethal control tools.
  • Creating/maintaining public contacts to formulate assistance strategies that incorporate technical assistance and operational control techniques.

OR
Successfully completed 1 year of graduate education (18 semester hours) in wildlife.


TRANSCRIPTS are required if:

  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
  • This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-5/6 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

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Job Field:
Wildlife
Job Type:
Full Time
Location Detail:
Many vacancies within the area available. Location negotiable after selection.
Salary:
GS 5-6: $19.52 - 35.36 per hour
Job Benefits:

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

  • Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications; and 5) supervisors name and phone number for each work period listed and whether or not they may be contacted for reference checks. Resume cannot exceed two pages. Only one resume will be reviewed.
  • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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. For further information, visit the following: Foreign Education Evaluation. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • If claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The certification must be on the letterhead of the appropriate military branch and include the dates of military service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
  • If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal that is at least fully successful or its equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
  • Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
    • Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.

How to apply:

Please read the entire announcement and instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation. Human Resources will pull applications weekly or as requested by the Hiring Official. If your USA Hire assessments are not complete when the applications are pulled, you will be considered in the next round of pulled applications. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. Resume cannot exceed two pages.

The application process:

1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
2: Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into USAJOBS. You may want to customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. In addition, your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire.
3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Simply log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
4: If you are required to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5: Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.Review instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
6: Set aside at around 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
7: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

You may update your application documents and some questions at any time during the announcement open period. Upon application, you may be provided a testing window to complete additional assessments. This testing window may stipulate a completion deadline before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to complete the additional online assessments within the timeline provided to remain in consideration for this vacancy announcement. Failure to complete the online assessments within the testing window for this announcement will not preclude you from being considered for and completing the online assessments during a testing window on a future announcement.

Application Deadline:

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