Summary

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri River Fish and WildlifeConservation Office, Pierre, South Dakota or Bismarck, North Dakota

Duties

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We are seeking talented, experienced applicants with strong partnership-building and creative problem solving skills, supervisory experience, excellent oral and written communication skills, and a firm grounding in fisheries and aquatic biology to provide leadership and management of the Missouri River and Great Plains Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices complex. The ideal candidate brings sound accountability and integrity to program and financial management, exercises emotional intelligence in navigating complex and sometimes divergent stakeholder interests (including Tribal Nations, state agencies, and military installation partners), and is equally comfortable directing technical work such as aquatic invasive species response as leading a team through a demanding, high-visibility, multi-site program. At the full performance level (GS-13), the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide administrative, scientific, and technical leadership for a large, complex scientific program/project. Manages the formulation of program objectives, priorities, and techniques. Provides long range resource planning, program direction, coordination, and evaluation. Lead the development of overall program goals, objectives, policies and strategies necessary to direct the program. Evaluates and monitors the program's accomplishments against stated goals and objectives.
• Coordinate interjurisdictional fisheries management and restoration activities for fishery and aquatic resources across the Missouri River system in North and South Dakota. Establish and maintain effective working relationships and partnerships with Tribal Nations, state agencies, federal agencies, and stakeholders with divergent interests, exercising tact and diplomacy to coordinate work across jurisdictional and organizational boundaries.
• Provide scientific and technical leadership in directingAquatic Invasive Species monitoring and response.
• Coordinate natural resources management activities on Department of War installations under the Sikes Act, including participation in Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) development, review, and implementation. Establish and maintain effective working relationships and partnerships with installation partners with divergent interests, exercising tact and diplomacy to coordinate work across jurisdictional and organizational boundaries.
• Develop and execute complex budgets from multiple appropriated fund sources, and develop, negotiate, and administer contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements.
• Provide administrative and technical supervision necessary to accomplish the work. This includes applying supervisory and managerial principles and methods, including workforce planning, performance management, and employee development.

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.

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.

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

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/30/2026-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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following Basic Education Requirement and Specialized Experience Requirement:

Basic Educational Requirement: You must meet at least one of the following:

• Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
• Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Specialized Experience Requirement: In addition to the Basic Education Requirement, 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 the following: providing administrative, scientific, and technical leadership for a scientific program or project, including leadership and problem solving in supervising and planning, organizing, and directing natural resource professionals to achieve defined goals; dealing with complex and controversial natural resources management issues within defined project timelines and schedules, negotiating with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders to resolve conflicts and establishing partnerships; developing and executing budgets from multiple funding sources, and administering or negotiating grants and cooperative agreements to accomplish program objectives; and applying knowledge of appropriate Federal statutes and regulations governing fish and wildlife conservation and interagency or interdepartmental coordination. All of this experience must be clearly demonstrated in your resume. 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

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.

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.