Fish Biologist.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Yakima (WA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington state (Yakima area) seeks an experienced professional to develop and review management plans, coordinate with external partners, and advance aquatic habitat restoration and fishery management initiatives.

You will plan and implement biological and habitat activities, analyze data, and prepare reports to guide program improvements. Telework may be considered with supervisory approval; a probationary period may apply.

Qualifications

• All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• Experience includes developing and sustaining relationships with partners and interagency collaborators.
• Ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and summarize biological data and communicate findings clearly in reports, briefings, and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Develops and reviews comprehensive management plans and coordinates with external partners and programs affecting biological resources.
• Plans, organizes and implements biological and/or habitat development activities affecting aquatic resources.
• Fosters and maintains relations with Fish and Wildlife Service programs, other agencies, and private groups to promote cooperative efforts.
• Participates in technical work group meetings and scientific conferences; advocates for trust species and other species of concern.
• Drafts grants and agreements to support coordination, habitat restoration, monitoring and management investigations.

Skills

Interagency collaboration

Data analysis

Report writing

Oral presentations

Education

Aquatic coursework

Animal sciences coursework

Job description

Duties

• Develops and reviews comprehensive management plans and coordinates with external partners and programs that affect biological resources including, but not limited to: fishery management, sampling for exotic species, assessing fish and mussel populations, and recommending habitat restoration/management actions. Plans and conducts a wide variety of complex investigations including the design, collection, and analysis of biological data to evaluate the impacts of land and water development activities upon the fishery resources of an area.
• Plans, organizes and implements biological and/or habitat development activities that affect aquatic resources. Prepares reports on progress and completion of activities and formulates recommendations that guide future programs and influences the improvements in management practices.
• Fosters and maintains good working relations with other Fish and Wildlife Service Programs, other Federal agencies, state agencies, tribal agencies and private resource-oriented groups within the assigned area of responsibility for promoting cooperative efforts in solving fishery resource problems.
• Participates in technical work group meetings and scientific conferences. Advocates for agency trust species and other species of concern.
• Drafts grants and agreements that provide or are in receipt of funds and services for activities related to coordination, aquatic habitat restoration, biological monitoring and fishery management investigations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• 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
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.

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 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 probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/20/2026-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.

Basic Educational Requirements

In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• Degree: with 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).. You must submit transcripts.
• -OR-
• Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
• AND -

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level

• Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) developing and sustaining effective working relationships with partners, stakeholders, and interagency collaborators to support and advance conservation objectives. 2) collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and summarizing biological, ecological, or programmatic data and communicating findings clearly through written reports, briefings, and oral presentations. and 3) formulating and providing resource management recommendations that promote the conservation of fish and wildlife resources while considering and balancing the needs of diverse water users and other competing interests.. You must include hours per week worked. -OR-
• Education: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (Degree must reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.). You must include transcripts. -OR-
• Combination of graduate education beyond the first two years of progressive graduate study and appropriate experience as listed above.

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.

Education

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Telework

This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here,

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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.