Student Trainee (Biological Sciences)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Baring, ME

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Pathways Internship Program connects current college students to paid internships throughout the Department of the Interior. The program offers structured training, professional development, and meaningful hands-on experience, preparing interns for an impactful career in public service and offers a direct pipeline to full-time employment upon graduation. Interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment. This is an indefinite, Excepted Service appointment that may continue if you continue to meet the eligibility requirements under the Pathways Internship program and funding is available. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or Foreign National who meets both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You will be required to sign a Pathways Internship Participant Agreement.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, the duration of the Pathways Internship in the excepted service is counted as a trial period.
• Must be a student accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a degree or certificate program on a full or half-time basis as defined by the school.
• Enrollment is with a qualifying educational institution such as a high school or state-approved homeschool; or accredited technical or vocational school; a 2- or 4-year college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school); or a post-secondary home school curriculum.
• Must be in good academic standing.
• You must continue to meet these eligibility requirements throughout the duration of your appointment under the Pathways Internship Program.
• The duties of this position should be related to your academic or career goals.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Possess 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). Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Conduct biological monitoring and research wildlife (birds and mammals); write technical reports on a specific topic or project; gather biological data and organize information for further analysis; conduct statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and frequencies or produce written, oral and visual media products to disseminate research results. You must include hours per week worked.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Successful completion of at least one (1) full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related fields. (One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours). You must include transcripts.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level: Combination of Education and Experience : You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: Possess at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Assisted with planning, permitting, or implementing habitat restoration projects along Great Lakes shorelines or within adjoining tributaries; Participated as part of a partnership or collaborative conservation effort with representatives from Tribal, State, non-profit or University organizations; Gathered, organized, summarized and presented biological, ecological, or public use data to a variety of audiences; Used a variety of methods and techniques for coastal habitat restoration including monitoring and removing invasive plant species, seeding or planting native vegetation, or restoring wetland through dike, tile, or culvert removal.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: Successful completion of Master's Degree or equivalent or at least two full academic years of graduate education related to the occupation, or a master's or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D. Directly related graduate study include: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related fields (Two years of graduate education is defined as 36 semester hours). You must include transcripts.
• To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level: Combination of education and experience: You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. You must include hours per week worked and transcripts.
• All applicants must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, academic standing, institution name, and student name.
• If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units.
• If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
• 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.
• Students appointed will have the flexibility to work full-time or part-time while in school and during breaks.
• Student Interns must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of the appointment.
• They will be required to provide proof of continued enrollment and good standing (as defined by the educational institution), each semester/quarter or grading period throughout the internship program.
• Interns must meet the qualification requirements for the position to which they are converting.
• must be a U.S. Citizen
• complete at least 480 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Housing may be available for this position.

Responsibilities

• Participates in the planning and execution of studies and assessments concerning biological, chemical, and physical processes that affect ecosystems.
• Coordinates, collects and processes field specimens for analysis according to established procedures, methods and techniques.
• Performs preliminary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data using established methods and software in ways that support project needs.
• Maintains computer databases; conducts geospatial analysis; and gathers, analyzes, tabulates and summarizes scientific, programmatic, and/or budgetary data.
• Participate in partnerships/collaborative groups and meet with partners, stakeholders and general public to communicate mission.
• Utilizes established data visualization methods and techniques to accurately and effectively communicate data and data analysis findings to various audiences.

Benefits

• 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.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree