KEY REQUIREMENTS



• United States citizen.
• Suitable for Federal employment.
• Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• Time-in-grade requirements must be met by closing date.

The individual selected for this position will: * Provide expertise to staff and senior leaders on issues dealing with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), Fur Seal Act (FSA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) including: population and stock assessments; species recovery plans pursuant to the ESA; interactions between marine mammals and commercial interests; coordination of Serious Injury Policy as it relates to stock assessments; management of pinniped/human conflicts; Native Trust issues concerning subsistence hunting, outreach efforts with constituents to assess impacts on NMFS actions; and coordination of policy, regulatory and other management actions with NMFS science centers and regional offices. * Work on interagency and intra-agency consultations to implement the MMPA, FSA, and ESA in support of NMFS marine mammal policies and regulations. * Conduct technical reviews and evaluations with sources inside and outside of the government on issues concerning listed species and populations. * Have a working knowledge of population assessment and species recovery activities, and all relevant issues pertaining to the MMPA and ESA.

Qualification requirements in vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on OPM's website here.

There is a Positive Educational Requirement for the Fish Biologist that applicants must meet. Applicant must have a degree major in biological science that included: At least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; and At least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.) OR Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.This announcement requires transcripts.

*You must provide all transcripts from all degrees received (unofficial copies are acceptable) by the closing date of this announcement. Individuals who are selected must be prepared to provide official transcripts. 

*If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower band/grade level (ZP-3/GS-12) 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.

For more information about the qualifications requirements for this position click here.   

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions).

However, your resume or optional cover letter must support your responses to the self-assessment questions, or your score may be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

The assessment tool will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written responses:

1. Knowledge of the Marine Mammal Protection Endangered Species regulations.

2. Skill in assessing conservation programs.

3. Ability to communicate and articulate effectively in front of audiences at all levels of technical expertise.

4. Ability to analyze and interpret scientific data for developing agency regulations.

5. Skill in reviewing technical documents.

NOAA offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at Benefits.

OTHER INFORMATION:

CTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: CTAP.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating;and
4. any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

1. A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level,and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and

4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents. To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at USAJOBS and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. For instructions on submitting your application in another format please contact the HR Personnel listed on this announcement.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

A complete application consists of the following:
* Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59.  Your resume should also list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment, the number of hours worked per week, your salary, and grade of any federal position/s held. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s).
* SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility.
* Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documentation, if applicable. For more information, please go to VETGUIDE.
* Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
* Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. If the education requirement includes a specified number of credit hours in specific disciplines, your transcript must reflect the required coursework.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to Qualifications for more information.
* Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment, (severely disabled, eligible veterans, certain military spouses, etc.)
Note: You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient. You must provide all the required documents by the closing date of the announcement or you may lose consideration for this vacancy.
* Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website Qualifications. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.  You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are:
1.Application Received or Application Incomplete;
2.Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
3.Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Ineligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and
4.Selected or Not Selected.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment.  The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).