Biological Science Tech (Wildlife) TERM

Summary

Join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and support hands-on wildlife conservation through field surveys, wildlife monitoring and tagging, habitat management, data collection, GIS, and biological studies. This position offers the opportunity to work outdoors and contribute directly to protecting wildlife and their habitats. This vacancy is limited to 50 applications and may close early. If the application limit is reached the announcement will close at 11:59pm ET that day. Learn more: USFWS

Duties

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2, Southwest Arizona Refuges Complex, in Cibola, AZ. Major duties include but are not limited to: Assist with planning and conducting wildlife censuses, surveys, and biological studies, including determining methods, establishing protocols, collecting field data, and reporting results. Capture and handle wildlife, apply visual and radio tags, and collect physiological, spatial, and other biological data to support wildlife monitoring and management activities. Monitor and manage wildlife habitat and environmental conditions; assist with water management, including irrigation and moist soil management, and conduct vegetation, mowing, seeding, pest plant, and wildlife/plant disease management activities. Enter, manage, and analyze biological data using databases, GIS, statistical software, and other information systems; prepare graphs, reports, and technical products. Operate vehicles, farm tractors, small watercraft, GPS, radio-tracking, water-monitoring, and other field equipment; provide work direction and guidance to biological technicians, volunteers, and youth crews. Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Incumbent will be required to complete first aid training provided by the agency. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a one year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. This probation period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level you must meet one of the following qualification requirements: Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: conducting wildlife surveys or biological studies; collecting and recording biological, physiological, spatial, or environmental data; capturing, handling, or tagging wildlife; and using field equipment or data systems to collect, manage, or analyze wildlife-related data. Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate-level education in a major that is directly related to the work of the position, such as wildlife biology, wildlife management, zoology, ecology, biology, natural resource management, or a closely related biological or natural resource field that included coursework related to wildlife biology, wildlife management, or wildlife conservation. One year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours the school determines represents one year of full-time study. If this information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered one full year. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours of directly related graduate-level education you have completed and divide by 18 semester hours (or the number of credit hours your school determines represents one year of full-time graduate study). Then take the number of months of qualifying specialized experience and divide by 12 months. Add the two percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts. To receive credit for experience, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. 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. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/15/2026.

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories: Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Self-Management, and Teamwork Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Other Information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. This is a term position (more than 1 year) with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of four years, or more based on any changes to regulations governing the number of years term appointments may last, without further competition at management's discretion. Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service. The agency retains sole discretion and without further competition, the right to extend the duration of this appointment after selection and/or appointment, based on changes to the term appointment regulation(s). No extension to a term appointment shall be granted to a selectee/employee to an amount of time that exceeds the maximum number of years authorized under any present or current regulation, unless such regulation expressly allows such action. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Physical Demands/Work Environment: The work requires prolonged and strenuous field activity, including extensive walking over rough or uneven terrain; wading through vegetation and marshes; bending, crouching, and climbing; and lifting and carrying equipment. Work may occur in cold, wet, windy, or hot conditions. The position may occasionally require lifting containers weighing up to 35 pounds. Office duties may require extended periods working at a computer. Work is performed in both office and outdoor settings. Fieldwork may occur in remote locations under primitive conditions and includes exposure to temperature extremes, inclement weather, dusty or noisy environments, heavy equipment, insects, poison ivy, sun, pollen, and other outdoor hazards. Travel may involve small boats, canoes, or small aircraft. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. The duties of this position are not suitable for telework. Government housing may be available, subject to availability.