Fish and Wildlife Biologist (GS-11/12)

Summary

You will serve as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 4, Louisiana Ecological Service Field Office, located in one of the below duty stations: Lafayette, LA Lacombe, LA Bell City, LA 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. GS-11: $74,678 - $97,087 GS-12: $89,508 - $116,362

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Develops, plans, conducts, and reviews complex ecological investigations of federal land and water resource development proposals (including Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act [CWPPRA] projects) to assess impacts on fish and wildlife resources (including federally listed species), with emphasis on habitat restoration, wetland ecology, and riparian management. Designs, coordinates, and implements large-scale habitat restoration and enhancement projects on federal, tribal, state, and private lands, including mapping, surveying, construction monitoring, and management planning for restored areas. Facilitates and negotiates cooperative agreements with federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, as well as private stakeholders, to maximize habitat preservation and restoration benefits for trust resources under CWPPRA and related federal programs. Reviews permit applications and project plans under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other federal/state programs; inspects projects for compliance with policies, standards, and legal requirements; recommends actions to ensure alignment with federal conservation objectives. Prepares comprehensive written reports, environmental assessments, and impact statements; delivers oral presentations to agency staff, partners, and public groups, analyzing present and future impacts of federal project alternatives on fish and wildlife resources. Provides technical guidance to lower-graded biologists and staff, directs their work in areas of special expertise, and trains personnel in federal project planning, habitat restoration, and resource management practices. Engages in multi-disciplinary planning efforts with public and private groups, and federal/state agencies to achieve Service policies and CWPPRA objectives; reviews and recommends procedures for implementing new regulations, legislation, and conservation mandates. Responds to inquiries from Congressional staff, the public, and media regarding federal project impacts, providing information within established guidelines and promoting transparency and outreach for CWPPRA and related federal initiatives. 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 - 11/05/2026-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: 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. Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level: 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) Assisting in planning and conducting investigations to assess the impact of land or water development projects on fish and wildlife resources, including data collection and reporting findings; (2) Participating in habitat restoration activities, such as landowner contacts, mapping, surveying, construction monitoring, or seeding, and contributed to management plans for restored areas; (3) Assisting in reviewing project plans or permit applications under federal or state programs, conducting inspections for compliance, and documented findings or recommendations; (4) Drafting technical reports, correspondence, or presentations related to the effects of development projects on fish and wildlife resources, and communicating findings to agency staff or partners; and (5) Working collaboratively with other biologists or staff. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of 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. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first determine the total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide 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. Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level: 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) Conducting complex ecological investigations and analyses to determine the effects of federal land and water development projects on fish and wildlife resources, including preparation of technical reports and recommendations; (2) Leading or coordinating habitat restoration and enhancement projects, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and development of management plans for restored areas, in collaboration with federal, state, tribal, or private partners; (3) Facilitating and negotiating cooperative agreements or mitigation measures with multiple agencies and stakeholders; (4) Reviewing and advising on permit applications and project plans under federal or state programs, conducting compliance inspections; (5) providing technical guidance and training to lower-graded biologists or staff, and (6) communicating complex biological information effectively through written reports, presentations, and interagency forums. 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.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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

How you will be evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Communication Compliance Influencing/Negotiating - GS-12 Only Project Management Technical Competence To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review.These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 11/05/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13095402 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Other 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. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive. Entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable. Discretionary entitlements are not authorized for this position 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. Telework: The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.