Conservation Biologist - Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service : Job Details

Summary This position is a Conservation Biologist, GS-0401-13, working in Missoula, Montana, for the R6-Intermountain West Joint Venture. This is a not-to-exceed one (1) year temporary promotion assignment. This temporary promotion may be extended without further competition; however, it may not exceed a total of five (5) years. This temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition. Responsibilities As a Conservation Biologist your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Developing spatial models and analyses documenting landscape change and their effects on migratory waterbirds and wetland ecosystems. Working closely with associated internal and external interests to produce and coordinate shared wetland and waterbird science needs. Producing and maintaining interactive web-based tools and applications that support technical transfer and dissemination of scientific findings for prioritization of on-the-ground conservation actions. Performing outcome-based evaluations of wetland and waterbird conservation investments. Actively participating in federal, state, and non-governmental origination management groups, as a wetland and waterbird subject matter expert, supporting the delivery of conservation programs with actionable science and tools. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Only experience and education obtained by 12/26/2024 will be considered. In order to qualify for this position, you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification. Basic Requirement: A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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 completion of a full 4-year course of study 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. In addition to meeting the basic requirement applicants must meet the following specialized experience requirements in order to be rated as qualified for this position (this information must be clearly supported in the resume). Minimum Qualification GS-13: One (1) year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: 1) Coordinating and supervising large landscape conservation science projects at a statewide, regional, or national level; 2) Collaborating with technical, program leadership, and external partners to develop strategic, actionable, and science-based tools to inform conservation and/or land management decisions and actions, including funding investments; 3) Providing administrative, scientific, and technical leadership for ecosystem-scale conservation projects and/or programs, including project management, workflow and process coordination, monitoring and reporting activities, production of technical products, decision documents, and communications materials for higher-level review; 4) Serving as a senior technical expert or similar coordination role for a spatial product that enables users to track changes over space and time across multiple geographies and jurisdictions. NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-13 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, 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. Time In Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the JOA. Specifically, i. Area of Consideration. ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502. iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions or for Federal Wage System (FWS), wage grade positions, applicants are evaluated using the OPM Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations and the job element examining method. Your SF-50 will be used to confirm you meet all requirements. 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 suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. Temporary Promotion: This is a not-to-exceed one (1) year temporary promotion assignment. This temporary promotion may be extended without further competition; however, it may not exceed a total of five (5) years. At the expiration of this assignment, at management's discretion, or whenever your services are no longer needed, you will be returned to your position or to a position of equivalent pay and grade within your agency of record. This temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition. 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. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. CTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP 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. To be considered under CTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For information on CTAP visit: Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.