Fish Biologist

Summary This position is located in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, in the Resource Management Division. This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number AK-1537-GLBA-24-12432903-ST, which is open to all merit promotion and status candidates. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods. Responsibilities As a Fisheries Biologist you will be working in the Resource Management Division in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska's Inside Passage and part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site-one of the world's largest international protected areas. From sea to summit, Glacier Bay offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration. For more information click the following link Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) and also here for information about this beautiful location. Major duties will include: Develops and prepares major sections of the resource management plan dealing with marine and freshwater fish resources by preparing specific resource action plans, project statements, and fish management plans needed to successfully manage and protect fish and other aquatic species. Develops, tests, and implements scientific monitoring protocols to identify, evaluate, and conduct long-term monitoring of marine and freshwater fish populations and fisheries including activities such as conducting inventories to determine species distributions, compositions, and relative abundance; catch and harvest in recreational, commercial, and/or subsistence fisheries; and overall patterns of angler use and distribution. Coordinates the park's fish and aquatic biology management strategies and programs with those on adjacent lands for the purposes of achieving broad ecosystem protection strategies and minimizing human impacts. Develops and conducts scientifically credible protection, mitigation, and restoration projects needed to restore and/or maintain the integrity of fish populations and fisheries. Represents the superintendent when working with others on aquatic and fisheries matters, such as developing and maintaining liaisons and creating effective working relations with related groups, individuals, agencies, and the public in order to encourage and facilitate cooperative regional management strategies. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. This is a career seasonal position. Career seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. You will work approximately from the beginning of February through the end of November, approximately 10 months in pay status, and will be in non-pay for the remainder of the year. Physical Demands for the GS-9 and 11: The position may require strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting and carrying of heavy objects. Some activities will occur in physically dangerous areas or settings. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time. In addition, as a GS-11 the employee must be physically capable of carrying out strenuous fieldwork associated with sampling in streams, ponds, lakes, and wetlands, frequently under adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, high humidity, or excessive heat. Working Conditions for the GS-9 and 11: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Assignments may be performed in potentially hazardous areas including steep rocky terrain, and forests. The incumbent is occasionally required to operate small watercraft in the performance of their duties. Craft is a small open outboard motorboat used for management and monitoring purposes. In addition, as a GS-11 assignments may be performed in firelines, arctic environments, swamps, deserts, and forests. Flying in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters is possible. Will be required to operate electrofishing equipment. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. Important: Please, do not provide a copy of your driver's license at this time. If selected for a position, you will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment. Motorboat operation required. Selectee will receive appropriate training in motorboat operations and will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/18/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 or GS 11 grade level, you must possess the following basic requirements for the Fish Biologist 0482 series by close of the announcement. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological science that included: At least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; and At least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.) You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must include transcripts and list the number of hours worked per week in your resume. -AND- In addition to the basic requirements listed above, to qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement. EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal Service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) which is in or related to the position to be filled and which provided the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies to successfully perform the duties of Fish Biologist. Specialized experience includes activities such as: conducts fisheries field inventories and monitoring studies; analyzes and evaluates habitat conditions of fish and aquatic resources; assist in preparing fisheries or fisheries resource management plans; compiles and interprets biological data; writes reports in which technical accuracy is critical. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successfully completed at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in biological science or related field of study. You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE as described above: To calculate your percentage of qualifying graduate education, divide your number of credit hours in excess of 18 semester hours by 18 semester hours or the number your school uses to represent one year of full time graduate academic study. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide your months of qualifying specialized experience by 12. Add the two percentages. They must equal at least 100% to qualify using this option. You must include a copy of your transcripts and hours worked per week in your resume. -OR- To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in Federal Service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) which is in or related to the position to be filled and which provided the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies to successfully perform the duties of Fish Biologist. Specialized experience includes activities such as: designs and conducts fisheries field inventories and monitoring studies; Identifies course of management action through analyzing and evaluating habitat conditions of fish and aquatic resources; assumes primary role in preparing fisheries or fisheries resource management plans; interprets laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines regarding the management and monitoring of fish populations and fisheries; compiles and interprets complex biological data; and writes reports in which technical accuracy is critical. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successfully completed at least three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in biological science or a related field of study. You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE as described above: To calculate your percentage of qualifying graduate education, divide your number of credit hours in excess of 36 semester hours or by 18 semester hours or the number your school uses to represent one year of full time graduate academic study. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide your months of qualifying specialized experience by 12. Add the two percentages. They must equal at least 100% to qualify using this option. You must include a copy of your transcripts and hours worked per week in your resume. Volunteer Experience: 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 To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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. Additional Information A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the person selected for the position is from outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses under the Federal Travel Regulations. Employer paid and reimbursed relocation expenses are considered taxable income. The NPS does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Employees should consult professional tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding concerns about the financial implications of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS). Alaska currently does not have a state income tax. In the event of an accident while traveling in a government aircraft, the payable benefits of a private life insurance policy may be affected. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. Hourly Rate Pay Range by Grade: GS-09 steps 1 to 10: $32.46 to $42.19 per hour + COLA GS-11 steps 1 to 10: $39.27 to $51.05 + COLA The Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for this duty station is 3.21%