Biologist (Animal Welfare Coordinator)

Summary

What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?

Salary: $142,488 (Step 01) to $185,234 (Step 10)

This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  
  

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Open only to current USGS employees serving on perm competitive service appts; OR current USGS employees, regardless of current status, who are elig for consideration under a noncompetitive auth such as those specific to 30% disabled vets, Individuals with Disabilities, Pathways Interns & Recent Grads who are elig for noncomp conversion, etc.

DutiesAs a Biologist within the Ecosystems Mission Area, some of your specific duties will include:

• Serves as the Bureau technical authority on the requirements for conducting research using animals and reporting to regulatory agencies to ensure Bureau compliance with the Animal Welfare Act and the U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training;
• Promotes a culture that emphasizes the ethical use of animals in research, animal welfare, and animal care and use;
• Works across the Bureau with science centers, Regions, Mission Areas, the Director's Office, the Office of Science Quality and Integrity, and others to strategically align programmatic priorities, leverage capabilities, advise on future investments, and ensure compliance and ethical treatment of animals across the bureau;
• Represents USGS and engages in the interagency environment to keep abreast of and recommend updates to US government wide animal care and use policies;
• Operates a government owned/leased vehicle as an incidental driver.
  
  

RequirementsConditions of EmploymentKey Requirements:

• Selectee may be subject to serving a one-year probationary period.
• More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
• Selectee must provide a valid state driver's license & safe driving record.
• Selectee subject to successful completion of a pre-employment medical exam.
  
  

Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?

• Taking and passing a pre-employment medical examination at Federal expense is required due to the physical demands of this job.
• You will be required to operate a government-owned or -leased vehicle in the performance of your official duties. Applicants for this position must meet the following requirements: (1) possess a valid State license, and (2) possess a safe driving record. If selected, you will be required to provide proof of a valid State license & a copy of your driving record.
• Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
• A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
• If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
  
  

Qualifications

Definitions:

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet A or B below to satisfy the basic education requirement for Biologist, all grade levels.

• Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
  
  

*OR*

• Combination of education and experience--courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above (24 semester hours or the equivalent in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position), plus appropriate experience and/or additional education for a total of 4 years. The education or combined education and experience must be comparable in type, scope and thoroughness to that acquired through successful completion of a 4-year course of study as described in "A" above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE)
  
  

For GS-14

In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have one year of appropriate professional experience in ecology that is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

Examples of GS-13 level work may include: 1) planning and leading biology projects of substantial depth and/or breadth that are compliant with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training (Principles); 2) obtaining and analyzing appropriate data to assess compliance with regulatory requirements; 3) preparing summary reports and briefing materials for governmental officials; 4) providing advisory, planning, or reviewing services as a technical specialist on a biological issue.

For examples 1-4, the work provided wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform scientific work of marked difficulty and responsibility. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of new methods and techniques to address ecological problems for which guidelines or precedents were not applicable, along with experience coordinating with external partners on applied research. The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge and technical ability to conduct animal welfare inspections of laboratories and animal holding facilities; develop and implement workflows or policies to assure compliance with the AWA and Principles across multiple facilities; lead an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; and effectively lead teams without formal management authority.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

• 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.
• Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:https://www.usgs.gov/human-capital/how-foreign-education-evaluated-federal-jobs
  
  

Additional information

Other Information

• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies in the advertised office or other U.S. Geological Survey offices in the local commuting area.?
• Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
• The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
  
  

Agency Benefits:

• USGS has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis.
• For additional information on our internal telework policy, please reference the Department of the Interior Telework Handbook at: https://www.doi.gov/telework/policies.
• Working for the U.S. Geological Survey offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
  
  

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.