U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Biological Science Technician (Fish)
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Summary
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/22/2026-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: Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying. To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Experience: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: 1. assisting with fish, wildlife, plant, habitat, or aquatic resource surveys and biological field investigations; 2. collecting biological samples or data in accordance with established scientific procedures and protocols; 3. assisting with the preparation, maintenance, or use of equipment needed for fish or wildlife capture, handling, tagging, propagation, habitat management, or restoration activities; and 4. entering, organizing, maintaining, or summarizing biological or environmental data for use in reports. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successfully completed one year of progressively higher-level graduate level education (18 semester/27 quarter hours or the school's equivalent) leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree at an accredited college or university that included courses directly related to the occupation, such as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, and aquaculture. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of higher-level graduate education semester hours completed and divide that by 18 semester hours. 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. To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level: Experience: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes: 1. planning and conducting fish, wildlife, or habitat surveys, biological monitoring activities, or field investigations; 2. collecting, identifying, handling, tagging, or recording biological data on fish, wildlife, plants, or aquatic resources; 3. implementing fish, wildlife, habitat management, restoration, propagation, or invasive-species control activities; and 4. organizing, managing, analyzing, and reporting biological or environmental data using databases, geographic information systems, or standard statistical methods. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successfully completed two full years of progressively higher-level graduate level education (36 semester/54 quarter hours or the school's equivalent) leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree at an accredited college or university that included courses directly related to the occupation, such as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, and aquaculture. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first take first take the number of higher-level graduate education semester hours completed and divide that by 36 semester hours. 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. 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.
Major Duties
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Conduct fishery assessments in the Great Lakes. Interact with the public to collect and record biological, environmental, and spatial data, and collect biological specimens (e.g., scales, otoliths, tissue samples) from angler-caught fish at Great Lakes boat landings, streams, fish cleaning stations, weirs, fishing tournaments and other venues. Assist with the preparation and organization of all necessary equipment for data collection activities. Laboratory processing of biological specimens collected during fishery surveys, including but not limited to 1) dissection of fish snouts to recover coded-wire tags from tagged fish, 2) reading and recording coded-wire tag numbers under a scope, 3) pressing fish scales into acetate slides, and encasing, cutting, and polishing otoliths, to prepare for age estimation analysis, and 4) data entry and validation. Assist with coded-wire tagging operations in federal and state fish hatcheries. Duties when on such missions include clipping fins and tagging fingerling fish by hand, loading fish from hatchery raceways into the AutoFish tagging trailer, and assisting with other tasks. Estimate the age of untagged fish from calcified structures (e.g., scales, otoliths, dorsal spines, maxillae) collected during fishery surveys. Assist biologists with management, organization, and quality control of biological databases using geographic information systems and other software (e.g., Survey123, ArcGIS Pro, Microsoft Excel/Access). Assist with creating and managing data platforms in the ArcGIS suite (e.g., Dashboards, StoryMaps). Assists with biological data analysis and writing of reports, data summaries, outreach materials, and other published products, and distributes products within FWS and to outside partner agencies. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
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. You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. 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 1-year 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 1-year probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) -10/22/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. If you held a Federal developmental (career ladder) position, you must list each grade separately on your resume, including dates, job title, and job duties, to ensure proper credit can be given for each grade level. Do not combine multiple grade levels together. Resumes must not exceed 2 single-sided pages and resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete All Required Assessment(s). Performance Appraisals and Awards: All applicants must submit their most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor. If the performance appraisal is not dated within the last 18 months OR no performance appraisal is available, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Eligibility Documentation: Current and former Federal employees must submit latest SF-50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF-50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. If your SF-50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. Do not submit award SF-50s. Veterans Preference Documentation: Veterans eligible under VRA (GS-11 & below only), VEOA, 30% or more Disabled, or Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program must submit the most recent Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions (e.g. DD-214) as listed on the SF15. If you are a Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all documentation as listed on the SF15. You may request a copy of the VA letter from https://www.va.gov/records. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): If you are applying under LMWFA, you must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment verifying the Position Occupied code 1-Competitive Service (block 34); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of temporary employment claimed, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles MUST submit proof of eligibility including a copy of the agency notice, most recent performance rating, and most recent SF-50 showing your position, grade level, and duty location. For more information visit: Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.
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 10/22/2026-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/13059482 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.