Wildlife Conservation Professional

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Wildlife Conservation Professional to join our team at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. As a key member of our staff, you will play a crucial role in protecting and conserving wildlife populations and their habitats.

Job Summary

The successful candidate will serve as a Wildlife Biologist within our organization, performing assignments involving project and program delivery, management, and administration with minimal supervision. The work is primarily concerned with wildlife damage management operations relating to the assessment, reduction, and/or elimination of problems associated with wild and/or feral animal species in urban, suburban, and rural environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform a variety of technical procedures including capture, restraint, chemical immobilization, marking, transport, euthanasia, and/or necropsy of wildlife.
• May be required to take extensive training and recurrent training on wildlife damage or disease recognition, control methods, and techniques; monitoring and surveillance procedures.
• Modify or adapt established damage or disease control techniques as necessary to meet local conditions and address specific environmental, economic, or political considerations.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with program directives, and local, State, and Federal laws and regulations in wildlife damage management activities.
• Gather, compile, evaluate, and present data on damage or hazards caused by various wildlife species to cooperators, stakeholders, and colleagues through project or program reports.
• Provide technical assistance to a variety of cooperators, along with conducting site visits or assessments to identify wildlife damage issues or threats.
• Recommend, to supervisor, areas for potential research or developmental study.
• May assist with research projects to increase knowledge of wildlife ecology and to develop or improve methods to reduce the risks of damage to resources or disease transmission to domestic animals.
• Assist other WS employees as requested and may assist in training new WS personnel. May be asked to provide technical direction and/or guidance to lower graded employees.

Requirements

To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
• Must be able to travel to and work on Wake Atoll and or Johnston Atoll for up to 2 weeks at a time, 5-6 times per year.
• Must have a knowledge of and be capable of using: Working with the public and other cooperating agencies, Communication skills, Electronic equipment (GPS, Trimble, computer).
• Must demonstrate a respect for safety in all operations, including the operation of motor vehicles, firearms, control devices, and equipment.
• In order to perform the essential duties of this position, you must have the legal and physical ability to possess and discharge firearms.
• You must be able to pass a government background check and meet any additional requirements to carry and use firearms.
• A background check will include answering questions about where you've lived, worked, went to school, and any military history or police records.
• Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check).

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Degree: biological science that included:

• At least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology;
• At least 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects;
• At least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences.

OR
Combination of education and experience: equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Knowledge of human-wildlife conflicts, invasive species, bio-security and principles of wildlife damage management.
• Skilled in interpreting and applying policies, regulations, laws, and ordinances that affect wildlife damage management operations and working within those guidelines.
• Conducting wildlife technical procedures such as monitoring, control and surveillance or population surveys in remote locations.
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with other Federal, State, county and city government agencies, Tribes, corporations, educational or research institutions.
• Working with the use of pesticides, traps, repellents, and other devices to deliver wildlife damage management strategies.

OR
2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in one of the following degree fields: Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Ecology, or Wildlife Management.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

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