Fish and Wildlife Biologist

Summary

You will serve as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, Virginia Ecological Services Field Office working in Gloucester, Virginia. Pay will vary based on grade level for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. Salary Range: GS-09: Step 1: $62,640 - Step 10: $81,436 GS11: Step 1: $75,788 - Step 10: $98,530

Duties

At the full performance level (GS-11) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Coordinates and facilitates activities pursuant to sections 4,6,7,8, and 10 of the Endangered Species Act. Inspects projects for compliance with policies, standards, guidelines, agreements, and plans; provides recommendations for action to ensure Endangered Species Act compliance. Drafts concurrence letters, technical assistance correspondence, and Biological Opinions for signature of the Field Office Supervisor. Coordinates wide ranging initiatives involving other Federal and state agencies, organizations, and the public in fully implementing Endangered Species Act programs. Plans and conducts status surveys for both listed and candidate species, in cooperation with other Federal and state agency personnel, private organization representatives, and contractors; negotiates agreements for status surveys with prospective contractors and personnel of cooperating agencies. 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 - 10/05/2026-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: Possess a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. You must submit transcripts. -OR- B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: A. Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include: 1) Assisting with coordination of activities pursuant to sections 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 of the Endangered Species Act, including gathering biological or habitat information used in consultation documents. 2) Supporting inspections of projects for compliance with ESA policies, standards, guidelines, agreements, and plans; documenting observations and recommending corrective actions under the guidance of senior staff. 3) Contributing to the drafting of concurrence letters, technical assistance correspondence, and sections of Biological Opinions by compiling data, summarizing biological information, and reviewing draft content for accuracy. 4) Assisting in multi-agency coordination by preparing materials for meetings, tracking action items, and communicating with other Federal or state agencies, organizations, or the public regarding ESA program implementation. 5) Participating in status surveys for listed or candidate species alongside Federal/state personnel or contractors, including collecting field data and helping organize agreements or logistical materials.. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- B. Education: Successful completion of at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited educational institution concentrated in a field that is directly related to the work of this position, such as in biological sciences, agriculture, botany, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position.. You must include transcripts. -OR- C. Combination of education and experience as listed above. -AND/OR- To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level: A. 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). Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include: 1) Coordinating and facilitating activities under ESA sections 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 with limited supervision, including independently interpreting policy requirements and advising partners on compliance needs. 2) Conducting inspections of proposed or ongoing projects for ESA compliance; evaluating findings, drafting recommendations, and identifying measures needed to ensure adherence to policies, standards, and conservation agreements. 3) Independently drafting concurrence letters, technical assistance correspondence, and Biological Opinions-including evaluating effects, documenting rationale, and preparing materials for Field Office Supervisor signature. 4) Leading coordination of wide-ranging ESA initiatives with Federal and state agencies, organizations, and public stakeholders; serving as a technical advisor during interagency review or consultation processes. 5) Planning and conducting status surveys for listed and candidate species; negotiating survey agreements, organizing multi-agency participation, and evaluating the biological and logistical adequacy of proposed survey approaches. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- B. Education: Successful completion of at least a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M., if related. Directly related graduate study may include, but is not limited to business administration, accounting, governmental budgeting, and/or public administration. (Three years of graduate education is 54 semester hours or 81 quarter hours).-OR- C. Combination of education and experience as listed above. 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 does not allow substituting education for experience. This position has a mandatory education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for exp