Fish Biologist - Stock Assessment

Full Job Description

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) with vacancies in: 2 vacancies for the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), located in Miami, FL; Panama City, FL; Beaufort, NC; Galveston, TX; or Pascagoula, MS 1 vacancy for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), located in Seattle, WA or Newport, OR 1 vacancy for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), located in Woods Hole, MA Qualification requirements in the 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 the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position requires applicants to meet a Basic Education Requirement in addition to at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination in order to be found minimally qualified.

Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet one of the following basic education requirements: To qualify for the 0482 series: EDUCATION: 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 B.

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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

-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.

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.

To qualify at the ZP-3 or GS-11 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-2 or GS-09 in the Federal service.

Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Contributing to marine research on stock assessments or fish population or ecosystem dynamics, fish biology and ecology, or management strategy evaluations; and Aiding in population dynamics, statistical, or mathematical analyses or models utilizing computer programming languages (e.g.

ADMB, R, TMB, C++). OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet the total experience requirements.

Note: Only graduate-level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

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: Conducting marine research and statistical analyses on stock assessments or fish population dynamics, biology, or ecology utilizing computer programming languages (e.g.

ADMB, R, TMB, C++); Participating in population dynamics modeling of marine fish populations using stock assessments; and Contributing to peer-reviewed publications on fishery science. Major Duties:

As a Fish Biologist - Stock Assessment, you will perform the following duties: Develop and program novel sampling and modeling methods including biological realism, and utilize advanced software (e.g., R, TMB, FIMS, SS, and other similar analytical tools) to conduct stock assessments and related analysis.

Design, initiate, and execute research projects and analyses for living marine resources by identifying, conducting, and leading stock assessments and research on fish population or ecosystem dynamics, fish biology and ecology, or management strategy evaluations.

Represent the organization, participate in various scientific committees, technical working groups, and lab meetings.

Develop specialized reports, peer-reviewed papers, and publications based on research products.

Develop improved mathematical, biological, and statistical models (e.g., Bayesian statistics, multivariate statistics, population dynamics) and incorporate biological, environmental and economic covariates in stock assessments and forecasts.

NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the ZP-4; the ZP-3 is developmental leading to such performance.

For more information about these positions, please visit the NOAA Fisheries is Hiring Webpage: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/careers-more/noaa-fisheries-hiring CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: The incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license to operate a government vehicle in completion of assigned tasks.

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure.

Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZP-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12. The ZP-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14.

*Positions located in Miami, FL; Panama City, FL; Beaufort, NC; Galveston, TX; or Pascagoula, MS are covered under bargaining unit 2194; *Positions in Seattle, WA and Newport, OR are covered under BU 2274; *Position located in Woods Hole, MA is not in the Bargaining Unit.