Research Biologist

US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

NWRC within USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services seeks a research biologist to define, lead, plan, coordinate, conduct, analyze, and report on field and laboratory studies addressing wildlife damage conflicts.

The ideal candidate will design and execute research, analyze data, and communicate findings to diverse stakeholders through reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience (GS-11) in wildlife disease or wildlife-aviation safety is required or equivalent education.

Responsibilities

• Define, lead, plan, coordinate, conduct, analyze, and report on field and laboratory research addressing wildlife damage conflicts.
• Communicate research findings through peer‑reviewed publications and presentations to diverse stakeholders.

Job description

This position is with the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) Wildlife Services Program (WS). Works as a research grade biologist to define, lead, plan, coordinate, conduct, analyze, and report on field and laboratory research dealing with wildlife damage conflicts.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT

Degree: 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to the basic requirement above, applicants must also meet the following:

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Experience and demonstrated independence planning and conducting research studies with an emphasis in one of the following areas: wildlife disease or wildlife-aviation safety. Studies conducted to provide tools, information and solutions that protect agriculture, natural resources, and/or human health and safety.
• Designed and conducted research studies in laboratory, field, and/or captive animal settings to address animal health and/or human-wildlife conflict including animal trapping, handling, marking, etc.
• Experienced at research study design and quantitative data analysis in wildlife ecology, epidemiology and/or animal behavior, especially using computer programming for data analytics.
• Experience with bringing in external resources/funding (either via grants or via leveraging partnerships) to support research.
• Experience communicating research findings through peer-reviewed, scientific publications, and presentations to diverse stakeholders; and considered an expert in respective field.

OR

Qualification on the basis of education--Applicants for such research positions can be considered qualified for GS-12 if they possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree directly related to the position.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS

Transcripts are required:

• This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
• You are qualifying for the position based on education.
• You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
• This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL

Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.