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 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). Special…

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