Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Wildlife)

Initial Cut-off Date: This is an open continuous announcement in which applications are collected over several months and have multiple cut-off dates. Applications will be considered throughout the open period of the announcement. ** The first cut-off date for early referral is January 16 2026. ** Referral certificates will be issued when a hiring official exhausts current certificate and/or additional vacancies need to be filled.

The purpose of this position is to perform human-wildlife conflicts management in Shenandoah National Park. The incumbent performs as a field assistant to park biologists and a Lead Biological Technician to implement a human-wildlife conflict/ aversive conditioning program (primarily black bear). Major duties include:

• Educate the public about human/wildlife conflict to prevent wildlife habituation.
• Assess habituated or food-conditioned black bear and white-tailed deer behavior in developed areas.
• Perform basic aversive conditioning on habituated bears and deer throughout the parks developed areas.
• Basic aversive conditioning includes the ability to safely use air horns paintball guns and projectile noisemakers for the purposes of hazing primarily habituated black bear and deer.
• Conduct (or assist with) food-conditioned bear culvert-trapping and will assist with relocations.
• Assist with food-conditioned bear free-range capture work (including tagging and collaring).
• Live-trap nuisance raccoons and skunks.
• Conduct surveillance for potential chronic wasting disease (CWD) positive deer and conduct opportunistic CWD surveillance by sampling road-killed deer throughout the park.
• Maintain wildlife management equipment.
• Use standardized software for preliminary wildlife data entry analysis and summary.
• Report natural resource-related violations to law enforcement staff.
• May assist with other wildlife monitoring forest pest management peregrine falcon restoration work and park search and rescue operations.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Drivers License: You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid drivers license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operators License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities) and at your own expense all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid drivers licenses whether current or past possessed by you.
• You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• May require lifting/moving heavy materials/equipment.
• Government housing may be available.
• Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/06/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position starting and ending dates of employment (month/year) and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e. work 40 hours a week rather than indicating full-time). If part-time the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: conducting wildlife inventory monitoring or management activities. GS-5 Level: conducting field surveys to document and assess mammal presence abundance reproduction and/or population dynamics using established protocols and standard scientific equipment; conducting or assisting with nuisance black bear management culvert trapping and/or aversive conditioning; conducting white-tailed deer management in a professional work or research setting. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with major study or 24 semester hours of course work in a related field of scientific or technical study such as biology wildlife ecology wildlife management zoology entomology botany animal husbandry wildlife survey techniques mammalogy ornithology dendrology or natural resources management. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be in wildlife ecology wildlife management wildlife survey techniques mammalogy or wildlife biology (or other course work that is directly related to the specialized focus of this position - wildlife management). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelors degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. For example I have 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement) and 3 years (90 semester hours) of college study that included at least 12 semester hours of the required courses (50% of the qualifying education/coursework). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: conducting field surveys in remote locations to document and assess mammal presence abundance reproduction and/or population dynamics using established protocols and standard scientific equipment; conducting food-conditioned black bear culvert trapping (or free-range capture) and habituated black bear aversive conditioning; conducting white-tailed deer management including Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance/sampling in a professional work or research setting. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of the position such as biology wildlife ecology wildlife management zoology entomology botany animal husbandry wildlife survey techniques mammalogy ornithology dendrology or natural resources management. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 9 semester hours of graduate education (50% of the education required to qualify) directly related to this position. Examples of education directly related to the position are: biology wildlife ecology wildlife management zoology entomology botany animal husbandry wildlife survey techniques mammalogy ornithology dendrology or natural resources management. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: leading crews managing wildlife inventory monitoring or management activities on mammals/wildlife; researching and compiling natural resource/wildlife data; conducting field surveys in remote locations to document and assess mammal presence abundance reproduction and/or population dynamics using established protocols and standard scientific equipment; conducting food-conditioned black bear culvert trapping (or free-range capture) and habituated black bear aversive conditioning; conducting white-tailed deer management including Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance/sampling in a professional work or research setting; independently resolving problems; selecting the best course of action for planning and executing work; etc.. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of the position such as biology wildlife ecology wildlife management zoology entomology botany animal husbandry wildlife survey techniques mammalogy ornithology dendrology or natural resources management. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 9 semester hours of graduate education (50% of the education required to qualify) directly related to this position. Examples of education directly related to the position are biology wildlife ecology wildlife management zoology entomology botany animal husbandry wildlife survey techniques mammalogy ornithology dendrology or natural resources management. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include 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.