Wildlife Biologist

Summary

This position is with the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Management of Ungulate Damage and Disease (MUDD) Project located in Fort Collins, CO. The work is primarily concerned with wildlife damage management (WDM) research relating to the assessment, reduction, and/or elimination of problems associated with wild and/or feral swine in urban, suburban, and rural environments.

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:
• Performs a variety of technical procedures including capture, restraint, chemical immobilization, marking, transport, euthanasia, and/or necropsy of wild ungulates.
• Conducts research design and data collection in field and pen settings.
• Conducts statistical analysis of experimental data, field and observational data, animal movement data, disease data, and camera data.
• Recommends research areas to supervisor, represents the program on committees and at meetings, presents to cooperators, stakeholders, and the public, and prepares written reports and peer-reviewed publications.
• Operates field equipment such as off-road vehicles, 4x4 trucks, trucks and trailers, firearms, remote cameras, cellular traps, and handheld data collection devices.
• Required to take extensive and recurrent training on wildlife damage/disease recognition, control methods, and techniques; monitoring and surveillance procedures; emergency response; and other training related to technical aspects of the job.
• Supports Wildlife Services’ (WS) safety program and procedures through participation in meetings, inspections, safety-related training, and implementation of safety requirements and protocols. Identifies safety-related opportunities and challenges.
• Assists other WS employees as requested and may assist in training new WS personnel. May be asked to provide technical direction and/or guidance to lower graded employees.
• May be responsible for procuring equipment and supplies necessary to conduct field activities and may be asked to complete other duties as assigned.
• May assist with research projects to increase knowledge of wildlife ecology and to develop or improve methods to reduce the risks of damage to resources or disease transmission to domestic animals and humans.
• Responsible for collecting, storing, and transporting biological data and samples; conducting telemetry; using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for surveys, surveillance, and data analysis.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: biological science that included: At least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology; and At least 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects (Excess courses in wildlife biology may be used to meet the zoology requirements where appropriate.); and At least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences. OR Combination of education and experience: equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to the basic requirement applicants must also possess: FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-9 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Working knowledge and experience related to a variety of technical procedures used in wildlife biology including animal capture, restraint, marking, and transport; collection and preservation of biological data and samples; chemical immobilization; and animal euthanasia and necropsy. Ability to gather, organize, and analyze data using techniques and technologies such as telemetry, GPS, GIS, web-based systems for data entry, app development for data entry, and administrative processes, wildlife population census and surveys, and wildlife monitoring and surveillance. Good Laboratory Practices training and experience for evaluating new pesticides for feral ungulates. Experience leading research teams in remote, sometimes dangerous, field settings for data collection activities. Proficiency in evaluating the risks of foreign animal diseases from feral ungulates to domestic livestock. Background in handling feral swine and deer, attaching GPS collars and ear tags, and monitoring their movements. OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in one of the following degree fields: Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Ecology, or Wildlife Management or closely related field. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. 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-09 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information. How You Will Be Evaluated

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reasoning Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13066368 Other Information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. 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 here.