Summary
This position serves as a Biologist (Migratory Birds) with the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fish and Wildlife Service Region 7, Division of Migratory Birds in Anchorage, Alaska. This vacancy uses the Field Unit Local Hiring (FUL) Authority. Applicants MUST reside within a 50-mile commute of the duty location.
Duties
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Design, coordinate, and implement statewide and regional non-game bird monitoring programs, including surveys to assess species distribution, abundance, habitat use, productivity, and population trends. Coordinate statewide implementation of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and provide technical oversight for long-term bird monitoring programs. Coordinate Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) eBird program, including statewide data quality assurance, reviewer coordination, volunteer engagement, and integration of citizen science into conservation and management. Design and conduct Sikes Act avian monitoring projects on military lands, including Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) surveys to support military readiness, environmental compliance, and natural resource management. Conduct and oversee standardized non-game bird surveys using methods such as point counts and line transects using distance-sampling, area searches, nest monitoring, across forest, tundra, alpine, wetland, coastal, and other habitats. Develop survey protocols, sampling designs, field methods, and quality assurance procedures to ensure scientifically rigorous and defensible monitoring data. Plan and conduct field studies involving the capture, handling, processing, marking, and release of wild birds, including the deployment of satellite, radio, and geolocator tracking devices, and the collection of biological samples (e.g., blood, feathers, fecal samples, morphometrics) to support research and conservation objectives. Manage, standardize, archive, and disseminate large biological datasets to support long-term monitoring, conservation planning, and public data accessibility Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Salary Range Information (Per Annum): $69,789 - $90,731 per annum *First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.
Requirements
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 www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. Pre-employment and random drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received. You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. Firearm qualification and certification are required for the role, and ongoing proficiency must be maintained. You must be free of any domestic violence convictions. You must be 21 or older. 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 that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification
How you will be evaluated
This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. The Servicing Human Resources Office will determine whether applicants meet the qualification and eligibility requirements described in this announcement. Applicants who meet these requirements may be referred to the selecting official on a certificate of eligibles for consideration. You must certify that you will maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within the defined vicinity of the field unit(s) listed in this announcement. Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed. Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed. If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration. 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.