Deadline: Fri, 09/01/2023 - 12:00pm Employer: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Geological Survey Cooperative Research Unit Job Field: Wildlife Job Type: Full Time Location: Nevada Location Detail: Reno Job Description: Duties As a Research Ecologist/Wildlife Biologist (Assistant Unit Leader) within the Nevada Cooperative Research Unit, some of your specific duties will include: Plans, conducts, and directs research related to fish, wildlife, or ecological resources, with application to contemporary science, policy and management needs. Conducts research that is cooperator driven and provides scientific basis for management and policy decisions. Serves as subject matter expert in fish and wildlife ecology, providing leadership and guidance to government and private agencies and university representatives through participation in meetings, conferences and work groups. Disseminates research results via final reports, peer-reviewed print scientific journals, online scientific journals, books, book chapters or other outlets. Make presentations on findings to scientific and conservation organizations. Serves as graduate faculty member, contributing to both the research, graduate student mentorship, and teaching mission of the university. Operates a government vehicle as an incidental driver. Qualifications: Requirements Conditions of Employment Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record. Are There Any Special Requirements for This Position? If selected you may be asked to provide information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols, such as those related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. You will be required to operate a government-owned or leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record. Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued. You will be required to maintain a graduate faculty appointment in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno, and participate on university and graduate committees, graduate advising, and other tasks that are shared by departmental faculty as appropriate. If selected for this position, you may be required to file one or more financial statements upon reporting and annually, some of which may be subject to public disclosure. A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. Qualifications This position is interdisciplinary and may be filled in either of the occupational job series listed. You must meet the educational requirements of at least one of these occupational series, in additional to the Minimum Requirement(s) listed below in order to be found qualified and referred for consideration. BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Basic Education for Ecologist, GS-0408: Applicants must meet the following to satisfy the basic education requirement for Ecologist, all grade levels. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in biology or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours or the equivalent in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours or the equivalent in ecology, and 12 semester hours or the equivalent in physical and mathematical sciences. *OR* Basic Education for Research Wildlife Biologist, GS-0486: Applicants must meet the following to satisfy the basic education requirement for Research Wildlife Biologist, all grade levels. Research positions: Degree with major in wildlife biology, zoology, or botany that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in biological science and 15 semester hours in the physical, mathematical, and earth sciences. This course work must have included: At least 9 semester hours of training applicable to wildlife biology in such subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, principles of population dynamics, or related course work in the field of wildlife biology; and At least 12 semester hours in zoological subjects such as invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy of the vertebrates, embryology, animal physiology, entomology, herpetology, parasitology, and genetics; and At least 9 semester hours in the field of botany and related plant science; and At least 15 semester hours of training in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, soils, and/or geology. Ph.D. Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic education requirements described above, in order to receive consideration for this position, you must also possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in wildlife science or a closely related field of study appropriate for this position. To verify the Ph.D. requirement, transcripts or verification from the university registrar must be submitted that clearly state: Ph.D. awarded, major, and date of conferral. Failure to provide this information will result in your application receiving no further consideration. For GS-13: In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-12 level may include experience that is in a directly related to a field of study appropriate for the position, which includes demonstrated experience in: (1) building an applied, field-based research program focused on ecological patterns and processes at landscape to regional scales relevant to conservation and restoration of wildlife populations and habitats; (2) developing innovative approaches to assess and address the vulnerability and resilience of Great Basin, Mojave, Eastern Sierra and surrounding habitats and species to natural and anthropogenic stressors; and (3) developing innovative approaches to assess current and future climate conditions to aid and inform decisions on conservation and management of wildlife, fish, their habitats, and ecosystems. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement. Education 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 completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs . Miscellaneous: Additional information Other Information: Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Number of Vacancies - There is currently only one vacancy to be filled; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available. The full performance level for a Research position is GS-15; however, promotion eligibility is dependent upon the scientific contributions of the incumbent as evaluated by a peer panel. Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position. USGS employees are subject to Title 43, USC Section 31(a) and may not: (a) have any personal, private, direct or indirect interest in lands or mineral wealth of lands under survey; (b) have any substantial personal, private, direct or indirect interests in any private mining or mineral enterprise doing business with the United States; or (c) execute surveys or examinations for private parties or corporations. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361. DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. The Department of the Interior (DOI) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. --Vacancy Related Questions: As part of the online application process, you will need to respond to a series of questions designed to assess your possession of the following competencies: Interpersonal Communication Program/Project Management Scientific Knowledge Written Communication --Basis of Rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. You will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position. If you are eligible, your on-line responses to the application questions will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied. Additional Assessment Required: If you meet the eligibility and basic qualification requirements for this position and score above the cut-score based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire, a subject-matter-expert will perform a structured review of your resume to evaluate your knowledge, skills, abilities, and competences as they directly relate to the duties of this position. --NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered. To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12025466 Salary: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01. GS-12: $82,830 (Step 01) to $107,680 (Step 10) GS-13: $98,496 (Step 01) to $128,043 (Step 10) Benefits: USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. For additional information on our internal telework policy, please reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook at: https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies. Working for the U.S. Geological Survey offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. How to Apply: Agency contact information Christina Klima Phone 3032369568 Email cklima@usgs.gov Address NEVADA CF AND WRU 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Mail Stop 600 Reston, VA 20192 US
