Summary There are two (2) vacancies for the Biologist, GS-0401-7/9 working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Midwest Region. 1 vacancy - Carterville Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Carterville, Illinois 1 vacancy - Assistant Regional Director-Fisheries, Bloomington, Minnesota The salary will be based upon duty station and locality pay once selected for duty in either Carbondale, IL or Bloomington, MN. Locality tables may be found at: Federal Pay Tables 2024. Responsibilities As a Biologist your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Carbondale, IL - 2 vacancies: Habitat Conservation Program: This position will serve as our lead biologist for projects undertaken on Department of Defense lands under the Sikes Act acting as our liaison to two military bases in Illinois and Indiana. Leads and/or participates in the application of various fishery techniques in support of carrying out complex biological studies related to monitoring of aquatic species, habitat rehabilitation, and/or habitat restoration; provides technical guidance and expertise related to biological studies of native aquatic species and invasive species management on Department of Defense lands (including technical guidance and biological recommendations to military partners); oversees fish surveys, aquatic habitat management, and terrestrial habitat restoration on Department of Defense lands. Aquatic Species Program: This position will serve as the lead biologist for projects in our aquatic invasive species program in the Ohio River Basin. Planning and implementing activities related to tracking the movement of invasive carps using acoustic transmitters; analyzing data related to fish movements; working with state and academic partners related to invasive carp movements in the Ohio River Basin; leads and/or participate in the application of various fishery techniques in support of carrying out complex biological studies related to monitoring of aquatic species; and works with supervisor and other biologists to develop and implement studies by contributing ideas, determining methods, establishing sampling procedures and protocols for accomplishing and reporting findings. Bloomington, MN - 1 vacancy: Aquatic Species Program: This position will support key aspects of the Aquatic Invasive Species Program in Region 3 Support Prevention and Risk Assessment Program; drafts Ecological Risk Screening Summaries and coordinates with Prevention Program leads in Region 3 and Region 5 to conduct horizon scanning activities with partners; support the Great Lakes Early Detection and Monitoring Program to draft communication and reporting with partners, including assisting with transmission of molecular sampling results; participate in Mississippi River and Great Lakes Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) panels to assist with partner collaboration and related tasks; and assist with implementation of invasive carp coordination with other Service Regions and with partners. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Only experience and education obtained by 07/08/2024 will be considered. In order to qualify for this position you must possess both the Basic Requirement and Minimum Qualification. Basic Requirement: Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, PLUS appropriate experience or additional education. Minimum Qualification [GS-7] Possess one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: 1) Assisting in field surveys related to fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats; 2) Participating in the development of reports, briefings, presentations, or training materials related to fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats; and 3) Assisting in work with partners, stakeholders, or the general public. NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified. OR Possess one full year graduate level education. NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. OR Possess Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.). S.A.A. is based on (1) Class Standing, (2) Grade-Point Average, or (3) Honor Society Membership. (1) Class Standing: Upper one-third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision based on completed courses. (2) Grade-Point Average: A grade point average of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (B or better) as recorded on the official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final two 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 in the major field completed during the final two years of the curriculum. (3) Election to Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society: Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Freshman scholastic honor societies cannot be used to meet the requirements of this position. Superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. OR Possess a combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement. NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. Minimum Qualification [GS-9] Possess one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 level or higher in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: 1) Participating in and leading field surveys related to fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats; 2) Participating in and composing reports, briefings, presentations, or training materials related to fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats; or 3) Working with partners, stakeholders, or the general public. NOTE: Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified. OR Possess two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field directly related to the work of the position. NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. OR Possess a combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above that when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. NOTE: To qualify under this option you must submit transcripts (official or unofficial) to verify your education. 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 Performance rating of record review: All applicants must provide a copy of their current performance rating dated within the past 18 months verifying their performance is at a fully successful level or higher. Applicants who do not have a current rating of record available must provide a reason and certify that their performance is acceptable, and they have not been advised that their performance is currently at an unacceptable level. Applicants who have an unsuccessful performance rating, or who have certified that their performance is not at an acceptable level will not be eligible for hiring consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. 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. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov) Additional Information PCS INFORMATION: -Yes, entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable. -In addition, relocation discretionary entitlements May be authorized for this position excluding contractor-provided home sale. Salary: The salary will be based upon duty station and locality pay once selected. Locality tables may be found at: Federal Pay Tables 2024. Telework: This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): DOI 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: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/" The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA), P.L. 114-47, allows certain individuals who currently or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies to compete under merit promotion procedures. Note: You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance (dates should match the dates on the SF-50s). Current appointees: Must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; Must have served under 1 or more time limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND Must have performed at an acceptable level. Former appointees: Must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; Must have served under 1 or more time limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; Must apply for position within 2 years after separation; Must have been separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND Must have performed at an acceptable level.