Fish and Wildlife Biologist

Summary

You will serve as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist located within the Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office.

GS-07: $55,934-$72,716 per annum

GS-09 $68,419 - $88,949 per annum

GS-11: $82,780-$107,620 per annum

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

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Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Evaluates biological data and project operational data to determine the effects on threatened or endangered species through formal and informal consultation procedures. Assesses impacts of federal and private actions on threatened and endangered species and develops draft biological opinions required under Section 7 and reviews habitat conservation plans under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Recommends ways to minimize or eliminate impacts to listed species, as well as alternatives that will avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of a species or avoid destroying or adversely modifying critical habitat.
• Maintains and updates files on permits and exemptions issued for activities associated with endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats. As requested, provides (compiles, collates, coordinates) extracts or summaries of these data for inclusion in such things as project documents, listing or de-listing packages, and budget exercises.
• Reviews and provides comments on management plans, studies and investigations required for habitat preservation and development work. Prepares reports on progress and completion of studies, uses data to formulate recommendations for future programs and effect improvements in management practices.
• Interacts with biologists throughout the office's geographic area and with other agencies (Federal, Tribal, and state) that have endangered species programs. Provides technical biological guidance to requestors implementing programs for the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species.
• Provide biological support on a variety of issues relating to the restoration, preservation, and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• 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 [click to reveal website link]www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.

Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary 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

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/13/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

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.

This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification.

Basic Requirement:

1. Degree: 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 sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must submit transcripts. OR
2. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

AND

Minimum Qualification [GS-11]

1. One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-09 in the Federal service. Experience includes 1) conducting complex biological or ecological investigations to determine the impact of various land and water development projects upon endangered species and their habitats; 2) negotiating alternative actions or mitigation measures, etc.; 3) developing habitat conservation or restoration projects; 4) serving as a technical advisor on the Endangered Species Act for other staff, government agencies, land owners, private interest groups, etc.; 5) preparing biological portions of environmental assessment/impact statements or comprehensive resource planning reports; 6) ensure federal environmental laws, regulations, and policies involving natural resources issues are implemented (i.e., Endangered Species Act, specifically Sections 7 and 10; Clean Water Act; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; National Environmental Policy Act). OR
2. 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in wildlife biology, ecology, or a directly related field appropriate to this position. OR
3. A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement.

Minimum Qualification [GS-09]

1. One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-07 in the Federal service. Experience includes 1) conducting biological or ecological investigations to determine the impact of various land and water development projects upon the fish and/or wildlife resources of an area; 2) reviewing permit applications; 3) assisting in developing comprehensive fish and/or wildlife management plans; 4) preparing portions of draft biological opinions/assessments as required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA); 5) reviewing biological portions of environment assessment/impact statements or resource planning reports; 6) implementing biological work and/or habitat preservation and development work for endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats; 7) implementing federal environmental laws, regulations, and policies involving natural resource issues. (i.e., Endangered Species Act, specifically Sections 7 and 10; Clean Water Act; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; National Environmental Policy Act). OR
2. 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in wildlife biology, ecology, or a directly related field appropriate to this position. OR
3. A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement.

Minimum Qualification [GS-07]

1. One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-05 in the Federal service. Experience includes 1) Assist with reviewing biological and environmental assessment/impact statements; review resource planning reports; 2) Research potential impacts of proposed programs or actions to determine the effects of those programs or actions on threatened and endangered species; 3) Assist with preparing portions of draft biological opinions/assessments as required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the supervisor's review and/or discussion; 4) Maintain and update files on permits issued for activities associated with endangered, threatened, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats; 5) implementing federal environmental laws, regulations, and policies that involve natural resource issues (i.e., Endangered Species Act, specifically Sections 7 and 10; Clean Water Act; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; National Environmental Policy Act). OR
2. At least 1 full year of graduate education from an accredited college or university in wildlife biology, ecology, or a directly related field appropriate to this position. OR
3. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grad-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society. OR
4. A combination of professional experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours towards a bachelor's degree which together equals 100% of the requirements. (When combining education with experience, first determine the total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine the experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.)

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

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

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. [click to reveal website link]https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-o...

Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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.

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.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive.

Related Non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630).

Physical Demands: Work is sedentary and requires average agility and dexterity. Some field work will require periods of physical exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; occasionally carrying light items, such as books, small instruments or samples, and other similar materials; or driving a motor vehicle.

Work Environment: The work requires both office and outdoor work. The office is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. Temperature and weather extremes may be encountered in the performance of the outdoor work. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow workers, or property with which entrusted.

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, [click to reveal website link]https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.