- Agency
- USDA-Wildlife Services
- Location
- TBD - Southwest North Dakota
- Job Category
- Full time Positions
- Salary
- $42,022 – $60,703 per year
- Start Date
- 05/01/2023
- Last Date to Apply
- 03/29/2023
- Description
- VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT OPEN DATE: March 20, 2023 CLOSING DATE: March 29, 2023 POSITION TITLE: Biological Science Technician (Wildlife) TYPE OF POSITION: Term appointment with possibility for benefits, excepted service, not to exceed 13 months (may be extended up to 4 years). WORK SCHEDULE: Full-Time, maxi-flex schedule including weekends, early morning hours and overnight travel required. ANNOUNCEMENT #: WSWRND2023-003 SERIES/GRADE: GS-404-6/7 FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL: GS-404-7 NUMBER OF 1 POSITIONS: LOCATION: TBD – Southwest North Dakota (Relocation expenses will not be paid) SALARY: $42,022 – $60,703 per year WHO MAY APPLY: • Must be a U.S. Citizen • Must be 18 years old • If you are a male born after December 31, 1959 and are at least 18 years of age, civil service employment law (5 U.S.C. 3328) requires that you must be registered with the Selective Service System, unless you meet certain exemptions (proof of registration and/or exemption required). Website: http://www.sss.gov. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: • Resume (include days/months/years worked, work schedule, and grade level if federal) 1) Personal information such as name, address, contact information 2) Education 3) Detailed work experience related to this position as described in the announcement including Work schedule, Hours worked per week, Dates of employment, Title, series, grade (if applicable) 4) All supervisors' phone numbers and if they may be contacted 5) Other qualifications, such as transcripts (if qualifying on education) • Transcripts (if qualifying on education) • DD-214 (Member 4 copy), if applicable for Veteran’s Preference • VA letter required if claiming disabled Veteran’s Preference • Current active-duty members must submit a certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. HOW TO APPLY: Additional materials not listed above (i.e. position descriptions, training certificates, etc.) may not be considered. Applicants who do not submit the required items listed above may not be considered. Applications with all supporting documents must be submitted to the contact office and must be RECEIVED by the CLOSING DATE of this announcement. Interested individuals should send a resume, transcripts, veteran documentation (if applicable) to the address listed here: Ryan Powers, District Supervisor USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services 2110 Miriam Circle Bismarck, ND 58501 701-355-3304 ryan.a.powers@usda.gov DUTIES: • Responsible for organizing and conducting direct control operations to alleviate wildlife damage within a large geographical area caused by predators and aquatic rodents. • Will serve as a Team Lead for specific specialized projects and wildlife damage management assistance requests within district and statewide. • Collateral duties will include serving as an aerial gunner statewide in fixed-wing aircraft. • Identify species by sight, sound, tracks, and damage present; examines all evidence and correctly identifies damage situations and attributes to the appropriate depredating species. • Responsible for providing technical assistance to the public within a large geographic area to assist them with a multitude of wildlife damage management situations. • Utilizes a variety of lethal and non-lethal wildlife damage management tools and techniques in a safe and proficient manner. • Maintains cooperative contacts in order to build and strengthen relationships with private individuals, tribal officials and government agency personnel. • Responsible for reporting accomplishments, challenges encountered, working locations, etc. to supervisor. Prepares and assists others with routine and special reports regarding daily, weekly or monthly activities, observations, events and other relevant data. • Must demonstrate a respect for safety in all operations, including the operation of motor vehicles, ATV’s, fixed wing aircraft and equipment. • Incumbent is entrusted with, and is responsible for, Government-owned equipment that must be kept secure while in use and being stored. • Independently determines and selects the most effective means of control for individual situations and may need to modify or adapts damage control techniques as necessary to meet local conditions and address specific environmental, economic or political considerations. • Assists with conducting demonstrations and training for others, including other cooperators or other interested groups, on WDM methods, procedures, and program objectives. • Carries out duties in accordance with program decisions made in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) under guidance and oversight by supervisor.
- Qualifications
- MINIMUM ELIGIBLITY REQUIREMENTS: To qualify, applicants MUST meet all minimum qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Qualification Requirements: For the GS-6 Grade Level: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the GS-5 level in the federal service. This experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, federal) sectors. Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to: • Assisting with human/wildlife conflicts. • Knowledge of wildlife damage management principles. • Conducting wildlife damage assessments, counts and surveys. • Using firearms, traps, snares, pesticides, pyrotechnics and other non-lethal control methods. • Knowledge of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Endangered Species Act, and National Environment Policy Act. OR Successfully completed 1 year of graduate education (18 semester hours) in wildlife. For the GS-7 Grade Level: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to the GS-6 level in the federal service. This experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, federal) sectors. Examples of qualifying experience include, but are not limited to: • Experience planning, organizing, and conducting direct control operations to reduce wildlife damage within a large geographical area or technical/subject area of program involvement. • Independently recognizing and identifying wildlife damage, providing direct assistance to cooperators and recommending appropriate strategies to the public to alleviate wildlife damage related issues. • Experience modifying or adapting established wildlife damage control techniques to meet local conditions and address specific environmental, economic or political considerations. • Experience with the negotiation of cooperative service agreements with landowners, lessees, or administrators to accomplish WS program goals. • Experience preparing formal reports and documents that summarize and analyze both work accomplished and benefits to cooperators/stakeholders and presenting information both internally to WS staff/supervisors and externally to cooperators, stakeholders, and/or the general public. OR Successfully completed 1 year of graduate education with an emphasis on wildlife biology. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: • Must obtain or have a valid U.S. driver’s license. Operation of Government-owned or leased vehicles is required. • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E- Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. • Position is subject to random and applicant drug testing. • In order to perform the essential duties of this position, you must have the legal and physical ability to possess and discharge firearms. You must be able to pass a government background check and meet any additional requirements to carry and use firearms. A background check will include answering questions about where you’ve lived, worked, went to school, and any military history or police records. Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check). • The work requires moderately strenuous physical exertion. Physical exertion includes lifting moderate weights, walking over wet, rough, uneven, muddy, or rocky surfaces, bending, crouching, and stooping, stretching or similar activities. This work does require average agility and dexterity. The job also requires a flexible schedule, working odd hours, possible weekend work, and must be conducted at the affected site. Emergency Response – APHIS is an emergency response agency. This means that all agency employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments to support emergency programs at some time during their careers with APHIS. It is difficult to predict the frequency with which such emergency situations may occur – and could range from several emergencies in a year to none over the course of many years. In the event that you are called upon to support an emergency program, this may require irregular working hours, including overtime, and may include duties other than those specified in your official position description. While some emergency program support assignments may be able to be performed at the employee’s current duty station, in other cases employees may be asked to go on-site to a temporary duty location. In addition, it may be necessary for employees to participate in multiple rotations to an emergency program assignment. Attempts will be made to keep disruption to the employee to a minimum. See this link: https://www.usajobs.gov//Help/working-in-government/fair-and-transparent/signature-false-statements/ Failure to follow application instructions regarding submitting appropriate forms and answering questions may result in loss of employment considerations for this position. All applications must be received by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: APPLICANTS FOR THIS POSITION WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TO URINALYSIS TO SCREEN FOR ILLEGAL DRUG USE PRIOR TO APPOINTMENT. APPOINTMENT TO THE POSITION WILL BE CONTINGENT UPON A NEGATIVE DRUG TEST RESULT. INCUMBENTS OF THIS POSITION WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TO URINALYSIS TO SCREEN FOR ILLEGAL DRUG USE ON AN ONGOING BASIS AFTER APPOINTMENT, AS DIRECTED. Carrying a firearm is a condition of employment – In the passing of the Lautenberg Amendment, Congress passed legislation which prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. If selected, you will be required to sign the form, “Inquiry for Positions Requiring Possession of Firearms,” certifying that you meet this criteria. All candidates will be considered without regarding to race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor. Reasonable Accommodation Policy- Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the workplace or the way things are customarily done that provides an equal employment opportunity to an individual with a disability. Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) must provide reasonable accommodations: • An applicant with disability needs to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job. • An employee with disability needs to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace. • An employee with disability needs to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events. Relocation costs will not be paid for this position.
- Contact Person
- Ryan Powers
- Contact Phone
- 701-355-3304
- Contact eMail
- ryan.a.powers@usda.gov
