Fish Biologist

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/05/2026-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 Requirement: Possess a degree from an accredited college or university 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; OR Possess a combination of education from an accredited college or university 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.

Minimum Qualification [GS-11] Possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

Specialized experience includes: (1) Experience in fish biology, ecology, or resource management; (2) Strong organizational skills with experience in project planning and field implementation; (3) Effective communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with diverse stakeholders; (4) Proven ability to lead field crews and manage equipment efficiently.

OR Possess 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate level education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a major study related to fisheries/aquatics; OR Possess a combination of progressively higher-level graduate education and experience as listed above. To combine education and experience, first convert quarter hours to semester hours by multiplying by the fraction 2/3.

Then, divide your number of graduate semester hours in excess of the first 36 hours by the number 18 (or the number your school uses to represent one year of graduate education). Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

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.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Contribute to annual supplementation planning and study design for release methodologies and assist in transitioning experimental releases to a comprehensive delta smelt supplementation program in coordination with the San Francisco Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office.

Lead and execute delta smelt release activities including developing protocols, scheduling, and implementation, in coordination with production facilities, the San Francisco Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office, and other agency partners. Contribute to the collaborative preparation and submission of experimental release and supplementation reports with partner agencies and stakeholders. Guide the Tagging and Data Coordinator in identifying program priorities and needs.

Acquire and facilitate the maintenance of release vehicles and equipment, ensuring timely repairs and necessary purchases.