Biologist

Find Your Future With Us at USDA – Animal Plant Health Inspection Service

Job Summary

The position is with the National Wildlife Research Center. The Center conducts laboratory and field research on the ecology, behavior, and environmental impacts of animals to agricultural crops, natural resources, and other human health and lifestyle interactions.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements: 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrate: Applying research techniques to investigate wildlife biology, ecology, or behavior in natural habitats or captive trials. Use and management of laboratory facilities for the performance of bioassays or behavioral studies on captive wildlife. Capturing and handling vertebrate wildlife (mammals, birds, or reptiles). Planning wildlife studies through writing or reviewing research protocols and coordinating availability of required resources (labor, materials, travel, etc.). Gathering, organizing, entering, proofing, summarizing, analyzing, and interpreting data as primary author on technical reports and/or publications. -OR- 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in the following degree fields: Wildlife Behavior, Wildlife Ecology, Wildlife Biology, or Animal Science. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: 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-09 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.

Major Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to:Assists the project leader in the planning and execution of complex laboratory and field investigations to assess the damages caused by invasive and other injurious wildlife.Captures and handles wild animals, and any other vertebrate causing economic or ecological damage.Obtains and preserves biological samples from live and dead animals.Collects and records animal observations.Conducts laboratory and field studies.Conducts trapping, marking, and radio-tagging of animals to determine home range, movement and habitat use patterns, and efficacy of control techniques.Collects, records, and accurately tabulates biological data from laboratory and field studies in accordance with study protocols and directives.Gathers, organizes, and interprets a wide variety of biological, ecological, pathological, or other information pertinent to scientific studies or investigations.Performs other duties as assigned.

Position Start Date:

05/05/2026

Position Close Date:

05/11/2026

Salary Offered:

68819 - 89470 USD Per Year

You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people. Join our team! To learn more about what it's like to work at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, what the agency does, and the types of careers, please visit the APHIS careers site. APHIS is an emergency response agency. This means that all Agency employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments to support emergency programs at some time during their careers with APHIS. For details click: APHIS Emergency Response

Please see the full announcement on USAJobs by clicking on the APPLY button!