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WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
Career Insights for Wildlife Biologist
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Based on Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia) data
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What they do
A Wildlife Biologist studies wild animals in their natural habitats. May specialize in a particular type of wild animal, such as bears, or focus on a particular habitat, such as ocean ecosystems. May study animal characteristics and interactions, or the evolution of animal species over time. May track wildlife populations, or focus on the impact of human interactions on wildlife habitats.
$72,767 / year median in Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia)
+6% projected growth
Job Description
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
position is located in the Office of Energy Projects.For more information visit:
Office of Energy Projects (OEP) | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Learn more about this agency This job is open to The public U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Clarification from the agency The Public Duties This position is available in the Division of Hydropower Licensing in the Office of Energy Projects. As aWILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
some of your typical work assignments include: Evaluating highly complex and diverse wildlife, plant, terrestrial ecology, marine biology, and terrestrial and marine environment related matters. Coordinating the activities of multidisciplinary teams assigned the responsibility of preparing NEPA documents associated with Commission action. Writing NEPA documents, letters, biological assessments and participating in meetings. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen or National. A one-year probationary period may be required. A background investigation is required. This is a bargaining unit position (AFGE Local 421). Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service. This position has an education requirement; you must submit transcripts. Relocation expenses will not be paid. If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities. Qualifications You must meet the qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To view the eligibility and qualification requirements of aWILDLIFE
BIOLOGIST, GS-0486, please visit: Wildlife Biology Series, 0486 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In addition to the education required for this position, you must have one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level.Specialized experience is defined as:
Preparing documents that assess complex wildlife-related issues related to existing or proposed infrastructure projects, at least one of which must be in a water environment. 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 any volunteer experience. Please do not cut and paste the "Duties" section, specialized experience statement, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Education This position has an education requirement and therefore, transcripts are required. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.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 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. Additional information The duty location of this position is Washington, DC. If selected for this position, you will be required to: Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in theU.S. FERC
also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify. Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment. Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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. 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. 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 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. 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. How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. 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. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Your application will be evaluated under the Category Rating method based on your assessments. You will receive a score based on the responses to the assessment questions. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and assessment score will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories: Best Qualified- for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria Well Qualified
- for those who excel in the evaluation criteria Qualified
- for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES
RESUME (maximum of 2 pages in length): Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire. You must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position: Position title Name of employer Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format) Hours worked per week Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable) Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions) If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study.VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE
: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.TRANSCRIPTS
(only required when the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying for the position based on your education): You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your education. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
VETERANS'PREFERENCE (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.) : If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an "Application for 10-point Veteran Preference" (SF-15), along with official VA letter and the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information about veterans' preference, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(CTAP)/INTERAGENCYCAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated "Well Qualified" for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information about CTAP/ICTAP, visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.The following documents are required:
Reduction in Force or RIF notice- written notice of your expected separation, or other documentation of priority consideration status; Latest SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location; Last performance appraisal, including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.
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 an RA in your online application. Requests for an 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 an 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 an RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) Agency contact information Nancy Queen Phone 202-502-6016 Email Nancy.Queen@ferc.gov Address Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First St NE Washington, DC 20426 US Next steps Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process, via your USAJOBS dashboard. To verify the status of your application, both during and after the announcement open period, log on to your USAJOBS account. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an option to "Track this application." Your "Applicant status" will also appear along with the dates you applied to this position and when your application was last updated. To learn more about your specific job status and how this helps you track jobs and applications visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. More than one selection for similar positions may be made from this announcement and the program office for that selection may vary. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s). Overview Accepting applications Location 2 vacancies in the following location: Washington, DC No matching locations found. Work site options Telework eligible Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $121,785
- $158,322 per year Pay scale & grade GS 13 Promotion potential 13 Learn more about pay scale and grade Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job. Work schedule Full-time Travel Required 25% or less
- You may be expected to travel up to 25% for this position to include consecutive overnight stays to attend meetings, site visits, conferences, and training.