Ocean Career: NOAA Supervisory Research Fish Biologist

Supervisory Research Fish Biologist

Below are the general duties of a Supervisory Research Fish Biologist:

• Prepare, coordinate, and direct the implementation of a research program or project involving ecosystem and fisheries science. Develop data applications and systems designed to collect and assess scientific information in support of the program or project.
• Develop and advise on new techniques in support of ecosystem fisheries research. Provide technical guidance to other functional specialists both internal and external to the organization. Investigate and assess complex fisheries research problems or situations and provide recommendations on methods and procedures for solving problems.
• Plan, oversee and/or conduct experiments, making recommendations for future work required. Collect, analyze, and interpret data. Present recommendations on the impact of changes.
• Plan and distribute work to be accomplished by subordinates. Develop performance standards and prepare schedules for the completion of work.

To qualify for the 0482 (Research) series:

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 fresh water 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.

-AND-

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.

To qualify at the ZP-4 or GS-13 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-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Coordinating and directing a research program or project involving marine ecosystem or fisheries science;
• Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting marine science data; and
• Overseeing staff in a leadership capacity in areas such as in assigning work, setting priorities, providing feedback on work assignments, providing feedback regarding overall employee performance, etc.

Final date to receive applications:
August 10, 2026

Salary range: $106,437 – $197,200 per year