Research Fish Biologist

Description:

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

This position is located in the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC); Fisheries Assessment, Technology, & Engineering Support (FATES) Division, with one vacancy, in Beaufort, NC.

Requirements:

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: Degree: Applicants must show that they have a degree with major study in biology, zoology, or biological oceanography that included at least 30 semester hours in biological and aquatic science and 15 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences. This course work must have included: At least 15 semester hours of preparatory training in zoology beyond introductory biology or zoology in such courses as invertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, histology, physiology, embryology, advanced vertebrate zoology, genetics, entomology, and parasitology; and; At least 6 semester hours of training applicable to fishery biology in such subjects as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, oceanography, algology, planktonology, marine or freshwater ecology, invertebrate ecology, principles of fishery population dynamics, or related course work in the field of fishery biology; and At least 15 semester hours of training in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, or statistics. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

To qualify at the ZP-03 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-02 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Assisting with conducting research on fisheries and fish stock assessment. Providing support in all aspects of biological sample analysis (i.e., age, growth or reproductive analysis) using quality control measures to ensure high data quality. Assisting with evaluating scientific data and presenting programmatic and research updates at conferences and meetings. OR

SUBSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree

OR

A COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

To qualify at the ZP-04 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-03 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Conducting research on fisheries and fish stock assessment to support the management of commercial and recreational finfish and invertebrate resources. Coordinating and managing all aspects of biological sample analysis (i.e., age, growth, or reproductive analysis) using appropriate quality assurance and quality control measures to ensure high data quality; and Publishing research results in peer reviewed journals and disseminating research information to the scientific community.