Job Description

Summary

You will serve as a FUL - Wildlife Biologist (Temporary) at Joshua Tree National Park. The wildlife biologist is responsible for program development and implementation for wildlife resources and their habitat requirements.

This is a temporary position expected to last 1 year but may be extended up to a maximum of two years based on agency needs and potential funding.

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Duties

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Major duties of the position include:

• Conducts biological surveys to monitor wildlife populations and wildlife/human interactions.
• Lead, train, and advise staff in wildlife management activities, including technical assistance in design and implementation of the park's wildlife program, integrated pest management program, mitigating human-wildlife conflicts.
• Works Collaboratively with park staff, park partners, outside agencies, and visitors to provide education and outreach regarding wildlife.
• Develops partnerships with other parks, agencies, individuals, and the public in order to facilitate and encourage cooperative wildlife management strategies.
• Prepares and gives oral presentations and trainings and prepares written reports and materials regarding the park's wildlife management program, research, and management issues.
• Monitors, tracks, and responds to human-wildlife interactions to mitigate conflicts.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• 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.
• You may be required to occasionally travel. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You 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-10/09/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

To receive credit for experience, 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. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

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

• A. Degree: Bachelor's Degree or higher degree with a major in biological science that included at least 9 semester hours in such wildlife subjects as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, wildlife management, or research courses in the field of wildlife biology; and at least 12 semester hours in zoology in such subjects as general zoology, invertebrate zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, genetics, ecology, cellular biology, parasitology, entomology, or research courses in such subjects (Excess courses in wildlife biology may be used to meet the zoology requirements where appropriate.); and at least 9 semester hours in botany or the related plant sciences. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
• B. Combination of education and experience: You must have a combination of education and experience equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), with at least 9 semester hours in wildlife subjects, 12 semester hours in zoology, and 9 semester hours in botany or related plant science, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (NOTE: The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field). (You must submit a copy of your college transcripts to support this claim.)

IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, TO QUALIFY FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL OF THIS POSITION, YOU MUST MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

A. You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience includes activities such as assisting with coordinating human-wildlife conflict management strategies and programs; maintaining effective working relationships with related groups and individuals, agencies and the public.

OR

B. You must have 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study directly related to the position. (You must submit a copy of your college transcripts to support this claim.)

OR

C. You must have a combination of education and experience. To calculate your percentage of qualifying graduate education, divide your number of semester hours in excess of 18 semester hours by 18 or the number your school uses to represent one year of full-time graduate academic study. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide your months of qualifying specialized experience by 12. Add the two percentages. They must equal 100% to qualify using this option. (You must submit a copy of your college transcripts to support this claim.)

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

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. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. This area reflects the geographic region from which individuals can reasonably be expected to travel daily to and from work under normal conditions, such as 50 miles/60 minutes in a metropolitan area or

75 miles/90 minutes in rural or remote areas. The defined vicinity for this position is: San Bernardino, CA; Riverside, CA, counties. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

This position is suitable for telework only in an emergency or natural disaster.

Physical Demands: The position may require strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting and carrying heavy objects. Some activities will occur in physically dangerous areas or settings. Documentary research and report writing work is sedentary, which entails the ability to concentrate and write for long periods of time.

Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather. Assignments may be performed in potentially hazardous areas including steep slopes, rocky terrain, volcanoes, caves, fire lines, arctic environments, swamps, deserts, and forests. Flying in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters is possible.

All Department of Interior (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, .

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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.

Benefits

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.

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