Fish Biologist

Summary

You will serve as a Fish Biologist with US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Salary Range:

• GS11: $84,439 - $109,777
• GS12: $101,206 - $131,571

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) rate of 1.49% is authorized.

Duties

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

• Provides fisheries and fish habitat expertise and serves as a consultant and technical advisor to affected Refuges, federal agencies, State of Alaska agencies, and partner organizations.
• Prepares fishery management and investigation plans, review and critiques work products and prepares agency comments.
• Meets with Tribal government representatives, members of other federal agencies, State and local officials, concerned citizens, and private, industry and public interest groups to gain input in project evaluations and Service activities. Where delegated to do so, makes decisions concerning the management of the Office's responsibilities based on expressed internal and external concerns.
• Studies and synthesizes current research and reports related to fishery management functions and directs such information to subordinates and personnel from other groups and agencies for their use.
• Develops investigation plans and proposals and conducts fishery investigations which include the determination of life history characteristics, population size, exploitation rates, distribution and migration, fish habitat requirements, and limiting factors. Such investigations require the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of a variety of chemical, physical, and biological parameters.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/13/2026-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 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 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. Combinationof education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:

Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (1) carrying out daily activities of in season fishery management; (2) understanding in season data and recommending management actions such as fishery openings or closures (3) assisting with field data collections and project logistics; (4) understanding basic statistics in order to determine significance (5) working with State managers, Tribal and stakeholder groups and the public on fishery management and research issues. OR

Education: To qualify, you must possess at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or closely related field which provided the knowledge skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position. OR

Combination of Experience and Education: To qualify you must possess an equivalent combination of professional experience and graduate level education beyond the second year which together equals 100% of the requirements. (When combining education with experience, first take the number progressively higher-level graduate education you have completed and then divide it by 54. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide it by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level:

Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (1) planning and carrying out daily activities of in season fishery management with only intermittent supervision; (2) analyzing and explaining in season data and recommending management actions such as fishery openings or closures (3) planning and designing field project and collecting or training other to collect field data and carry out project logistics; (4) using statistical packages and languages, such as programming language R, to analyze data for significance and report results (5) influencing and negotiating with State managers, Tribal and stakeholder groups and the public on fishery management decisions and research topics.

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

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

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.

Physical Demands: The work requires some physical exertion, at times significant, such as walking considerable distances in rough, wet, uneven, or rocky terrain; wading through swift, turbulent waters; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; and carrying heavy field equipment up to 50 pounds in weight under a wide variety of environmental conditions during all seasons and temperature extremes. The work requires average agility and dexterity.

Work Environment: The work requires both office and outdoor work. Approximately 70% of the incumbent's time will be required in the office for station administration, project planning, and analysis of data and project reports. The remaining time will be devoted to travel and field activities. The office is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The incumbent is expected to spend sufficient time in the field to ensure successful completion of the projects under their supervision. Visiting field operations or conducting field visits may include transportation by boat, helicopter, small fixed-winged aircraft, and assorted motor vehicles. During field visits, the incumbent may be exposed to the physical hazards of working in Alaska including rugged terrain, extremes in temperature and weather, remote locations with limited medical support, and biological hazards such as bears and biting insects. When in the field, the employee will comply with the regional bear safety policy. Knowledge of firearms and firearms safety in field situations to comply with policy on bear safety.

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.