Summary

This position is a Fish and Wildlife Administrator, GS- 0480-15, working in Fremont, CA, for the R8 Regional Chief-National Wildlife Refuge office.

Duties

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This is a Merit Promotion announcement for career and career conditional FWS employees, Career Transition eligibles(CTAP, Current or former time-limited employees eligibles under Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) and those who are eligible under the hiring paths listed above. Refer to Required Documents section for more information.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Lead integrated ecosystem management efforts by coordinating refuge management, fisheries management, ecological services, migratory bird programs, Federal Aid, and law enforcement activities. Evaluate management plans, goals, and resource challenges, and determine final actions, timelines, and long-term approaches for ecosystem management.
• Direct policy and staff operations for refuges within the Region by implementing policies, standards, and procedures. Coordinate Regionwide program issues such as refuge management, public use, compatibility reviews, comprehensive planning, and outreach. Develop short- and long-range plans to ensure compliance with laws and policies that govern Service programs, and provide leadership on national and Regionwide program priorities.
• Provide expert guidance on complex scientific, operational, and political matters by preparing position papers, reviewing documents and plans, and making implementation decisions. Build cooperation and maintain communication with groups and agencies such as conservation organizations, industries, civic groups, Federal and State officials, county officials, scientists, and news media. Coordinate with States, Federal partners, Congressional offices, and other stakeholders while leading program outreach activities.
• Manage program resources effectively by estimating and justifying needs for funding, space, supplies, equipment, and staffing. Oversee multimillion-dollar budgets that support programs with rapidly shifting priorities. Identify requirements for special projects or studies performed by staff, contractors, consultants, academics, or field stations. Support field operations, ecosystem teams, and the Regional Director through collaboration with the Regional Office, Assistant Regional Directors, and program staff. Monitor progress, evaluate program performance, and recommend changes to improve goals and outcomes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

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, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/18/2026-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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR 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:

1. Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
   OR
2. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, or at least 30 semester hours in courses, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
   OR
3. Experience: Four years of experience that demonstrated that the applicant acquired knowledge and understanding of one or more of the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, or related disciplines equivalent to that which would have been acquired through completion of a 4-year course of study as described in A above.

To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level:

Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS- 14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience performing the following: 1) Developing wildlife biology, ecology, and/or habitat management procedures and policies to be implemented and conducted in field station operations; 2) Supervision of staff conducting habitat conservation, maintenance, fire management or public use programs; 3) Diplomatically works with high level officials from Congress, State, and Federal agencies, private organizations, and the news media concerning complex natural resources issues; 4) Exercising direct responsibility for overseeing and implementing budgets that support fish and wildlife conservation. 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.

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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

Additional information

PCS authorized: Discretionary benefits may be provided excluding contractor-provided home sale.

Telework authorized: This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Related Non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630).

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.

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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

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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.

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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.