Biological Science Technician; Fisheries

Position: Biological Science Technician (Fisheries)
Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Competitive Service Positions to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position: This position is located at Ice Harbor Dam, Burbank, WA, operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers and situated on the Lower Snake River near the communities of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland, WA.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

• Collecting fish, enumerating juvenile salmonid and non-salmonid fish, identifying species, making standardized observations of weight and growth.
• Sampling fish at hydroelectric projects by setting up the sampling/recirculating system.
• Monitor regular fish health and recirculation system.
• Filling and dewatering the system with water and anesthetic daily, cleaning recirculation filters, and any other preparations as needed before crowding and sampling fish begins and ends.
• Collect and maintain data associated with the juvenile condition monitoring program.
• Coordinating with and/or assist researchers working in the wet lab.
• Lifting and carrying buckets of fish down ramps and stairs to recovery areas of the hydroelectric facility.
• Standing for long periods of time at the wet separator, collecting fish, anesthetizing the fish collected and examining fish under a dissecting microscope for sign of gas bubble trauma.
• Making regular facility inspections to monitoring dewatering equipment, pumps, flumes, gatewells and/or tag interrogation equipment.
• Conduct juvenile and adult fishway inspections of the dam and fish facility to ensure operations follow criteria as set forth in the Fish Passage Plan.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Pre-employment physical is required.
• Valid state driver's license required.
• This position requires heavy lifting of up to 45lbs.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or education requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience;

if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized

Experience:

One year of specialized experience which includes experience in the collection, holding and sampling of fish to include equipment operation such as crowders, tag interrogation equipment and recirculation systems; and scientific data collection. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06).

OR

Education:

One full year of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics.

OR

Combination of

Education and Experience:

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

Education

FOREIGN

EDUCATION:

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or…