You will serve as a Supervisory Fish Biologist (Project Leader) within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1, Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, part of the Leavenworth Fisheries Complex located in Leavenworth, WA. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
Qualifications:
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/08/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience . For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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. -
AND- Minimum Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Basic Educational Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.
Basic Educational Requirements:
In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following: A.
Degree :
A degree with a major in biological science that included at least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; AND at least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate). You must submit transcripts. -OR- B.
Combination of education and experience:
course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level:
Experience :
To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) assisting in the development, implementation, and coordination of field and hatchery data collection for evaluation of hatchery operations and management practices, or fishery and/or habitat and aquatic conservation efforts; 2) preparing budgetary recommendations for equipment, material and personnel required to complete projects related to hatchery and fisheries resources; 3) preparing and delivering oral presentations describing research results at a variety of forums including staff meetings, stakeholder meetings, technical workshops, and professional conferences; 4) preparing responses regarding hatchery, fishery, and/or habitat and aquatic conservation issues to other federal agencies, state agencies, Tribal organizations, and other interested parties to provide requested information within established office guidelines and in conformance with agency and departmental policy; and 5) applying professional knowledge of fish biology principles, theories, and practices to investigate the biology, ecology, and habitat requirements of salmonids and large river fish.
NOTE:
Your resume must contain sufficient information in these areas to be found qualified. You must include hours per week worked.
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.