This position is a Seasonal Biological Science Technician (Fish), GS-0404-05 or GS-0404-06 or GS-0404-07 working in Iron River, WI for the Iron River National Fish Hatchery.
The salary will vary based on the grade level:
GS-05 - $19.52 - $25.37
GS-06 - $21.76 - $28.29
GS-07 - $24.28 - $37.43
Click here for OPM GS Salary Pay Table
Learn more about this agency
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Open to all U.S. Citizens. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles.
This is a temporary appointment intended for seasonal work that is less than 6 months or 1040 hours from the date of appointment/service year. It is expected this position will be terminated upon completion of the seasons work. The agency may non-competitively rehire an eligible temporary seasonal worker in subsequent years who works less than 6 months or 1040 hours in their service year.
As a Biological Science Technician (Fish) (Seasonal) your duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:
For Fish Hatchery and Propagation positions:
- Assists with hatchery operations which could include spawning, rearing fish in tanks or raceways, caring for fertilized eggs in trays, observing fish behavior in response to feeding, cleaning, and husbandry operations, determining feed regiments, and treating fish disease.
- Assists hatchery crew in providing daily care to fish in an aquaculture facility.
- Collects, compiles, and summarizes data.
- Performs general maintenance required for general fish hatchery upkeep and maintenance including using simple hand tools or power equipment, landscaping tools (grass mowers, shrub trimmers, etc.), and other tools for minor repairs on hatchery equipment.
For Fish Population Surveys and Studies positions:
- Participates in multifaceted fish population studies, including carrying out a variety of research and survey methods, analyzing established data, and monitoring environmental elements related to conservation, management, and/or control of fish populations.
- Assists with preparation, maintenance, and use of field equipment such as boats, nets, traps, electrofishing equipment, and other equipment as necessary to accomplish routine fishery management and aquatic habitat investigations.
- Uses a variety of laboratory and field equipment to perform standardized tasks for studies.
- Collects, compiles, and summarizes data.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
- See Additional Information section for link to additional conditions of employment applicable to each position advertised
- Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
- Driver’s License: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver’s license throughout their employment in this position.
Only experience and education obtained by 07/24/2026 will be considered.
In order to qualify for this position you must the Minimum Qualification.
Minimum Qualification [GS-05]
- One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility equivalent to grade GS-04 in the Federal service. Specialized experience may include: fish hatchery work OR fish surveys and studies; assisting with the preparation, maintenance and use of equipment; recording information in legible form; accomplishing field assessments; assisting with collection, stocking, population determination, migration studies and species identification; participating in fishery management surveys; assisting with preparing plans and presentations. OR
- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled such as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, aquaculture, etc. OR
- A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement
- One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal Service performing assisting with sampling and recording biological data for fish and assisting with conducting fish biological surveys; using seines and nets to collect fish and experience securing, transporting/trailering, loading/packing, launching/retrieving, and maneuvering/operating watercraft safely for electrofishing and/or netting on large rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and ponds. Your resume must support the experience you claim.
- One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level or higher in the Federal service, or equivalent non-Federal experience. Specialized experience includes care and feeding of all life stages of fish. Record and monitor fish health, maintain and update fish culture and water quality records, maintain and improve hatchery infrastructure, equipment and grounds. Rearing, distribution and maintenance of eggs, fry, parr, smolts, yearlings, and broodstock. Collect, process and inventory eggs. Follow established spawning procedures, perform routine health assessments including: necropsies of morbid fish, collecting ovarian fluid samples, external examination of fish for parasites and collecting blood samples. OR
- Successfully completed one year of graduate level education (18 semester/27 quarter hours or the school's equivalent) in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree that included courses directly related to the occupation, such as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, aquaculture, etc. C. I possess an appropriate combination of GS-06 level specialized experience and graduate level education, which, when combined, is equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirements (You must provide a copy of your college transcripts). OR
- A combination of education and experience as described in 1 and 2 above which together equals 100% of the requirement
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.
PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, 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. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: 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.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
PCS - Not Authorized
Telework: This position is not suitable for telework.
Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.
Temporary Benefits: Most Federal employees earn both annual and sick leave. For additional information, visit Leave Administration. Effective January 2015, employees on temporary appointments may be eligible for health benefits through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and, if eligible, will receive the same government contribution as full-time permanent employees. To be eligible for consideration, temporary employees working full-time or part-time must be on appointments expected to last at least 90 days, or be on an intermittent work schedule and expected to work 130 hours per month for at least 90 days. Employees electing to participate in the FEHB will be responsible for the employee share of the premium while on the official agency roles, which is deducted from bi-weekly earnings. After separating from federal employment, employees will be offered to continue participation in FEHB under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) option. Employees electing to continue coverage under the TCC provision will be responsible for the full premium amount plus a 2% administration fee.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 80 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application.
For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.
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.
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.
Review our benefits
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you meet the qualifications your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications which resulted in you being listed in the highest quality category, you may lose consideration or be assigned to a lower quality category for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
- Knowledge of fish propagation techniques.
- Ability to capture, handle, and tag or collar various fish/wildlife.
- Knowledge of fish and/or wildlife species specific to the designated survey areas sufficient to complete investigations and gather required data within the timeframe allotted.
- Knowledge of practices that affect natural resources environments (e.g., agriculture, construction) in order to recognize probable effects on and/or relationship to those resources.
- Knowledge of database systems such as geographic information systems (GIS) in order to collect, code, organize, and maintain data.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. The category ratings for this position are: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
You must submit a complete application package. We will not make assumptions about your experience and/or education.
Required Documents:
1. Resume: You may only submit one, 2-page resume. Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. Your resume must describe your job-related qualifications (paid and non-paid work experience) that includes job title, beginning and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and description of job duties. You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form, you must ensure this information is provided. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly distinguish the job duties for each grade level and how long you were working in each grade level.
- Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
- Classified or government sensitive information
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Photos of yourself
- Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
- Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
Additional Documentation, if applicable:
1. College Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. A copy of your official transcripts may be required if you are selected.
2. Cover Letter
3. Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach a copy of your
DD-214 Member Copy 2 or 4 showing you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. (i.e. VA letter).
You may not be awarded preference if you do not attach the correct Veteran Documentation as specified above.
4. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
5.
Current and former federal employees - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) to support your experience. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include appointments/separations, promotions, within-grade increases.
Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below. The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section.
Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
- Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12999985.
- Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application.
- Applications must be received by 07/24/2026, 11:59pm ET to receive consideration.
- Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at [email protected].
Human Resources Staffing Division
Address
Division of Human Resources
Division of Human Resources
5600 American Blvd, West Suite 990
Bloomington, MN 55437
US
Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted by the hiring official.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated.
Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply in 2 days
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 24, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$19.52 - $31.43 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Temporary - 1039 Hours
Occupations and job series
- 0404 Biological Science Technician
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
SSO-FWS-IRFH-12999985-26-DE
