Minimum Qualifications If Civil Service Eligible list(s) exist, they will be canvassed. Candidates must be reachable on the current eligible list(s) to be considered for appointment. You may also apply if you are eligible for appointment or reinstatement by one of the following qualifications:
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*
To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55b/c, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position.
The qualifications are:
Biologist Trainee 1 (Ecology), SG 14:
A bachelor's or higher degree*** including or supplemented with 18 semester credit hours in aquatic ecosystem restoration and enhancement, behavior of fish, behavior of wildlife, behavioral ecology, biology of fish, biology of wildlife, biostatistics, biomonitoring, conservation biology, conservation ecology, community ecology, community dynamics, ecological data analysis, ecological modeling and design, ecological risk assessment, ecology, ecology and management of invasive species, ecology of fish, ecology of freshwater or marine organisms, ecology of freshwater wetlands, ecology of wildlife, ecology of plants, ecology of habitats, ecosystems, ecotoxicology, environmental contamination, environmental toxicology, endangered species, entomology, environmental impact analysis, environmental impact assessment, forest ecology, fisheries management, habitat analysis, habitat geographic information system (GIS) analysis, habitat protection, habitat quality, habitat evaluation, habitat management, habitat restoration, herpetology, hydrogeomorphology, hydrobiology, hydrology, ichthyology, limnology, mammalian ecology, mammalogy, management of habitats management of populations, marine ecology, mycorrhizal ecology, ornithology, plant ecology, population dynamics, population ecology, population management, population analysis, restoration and management, research in ecology, statistics in ecology, stream resource protection, systems ecology, urban wildlife, urban habitats, watershed-based conservation, watershed-based management, wetland resources, wetland restoration, wetland science, wetland and stream resources, or wildlife management.
- Examples of Non-qualifying Courses: agriculture or domestic animal specialties, climate change, earth science, dendrology, environmental ethics, environmental planning, evolution, extinction, forest or forestry resources management, human population dynamics, human ecology, oceanography, silvicultural, taxonomy, water pollution control.
For Biologist Trainee 2 (Ecology), SG-16 you must also have:
Either 1. One year of professional experience** in ecology; OR
2. A master's degree*** in natural science or natural resources.
Biologist 1 (Ecology), SG-18 you must also have:
Either 1. Two years of professional experience** in ecology; OR
2. A PhD*** in natural science or natural resources; OR
3. Certification by the Ecological Society of America as a Certified Ecologist.
**If verifiable, we will accept and pro-rate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.
***Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education (https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home). If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States or its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. This information can be found at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. Candidates are responsible for the evaluation fee.
If you are a veteran or an individual with a disability and would like to apply for the Department of Civil Service’s 55-b/c Program, please visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/ for more information.
Subsequent 55-b/c Qualifications:
A subsequent 55-b/c appointment may be considered if you have at least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service and have a current Civil Service 55-b/c letter of eligibility.
Reassignment Qualifications:
Current NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Employees only, with at least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Biologist 1 (Ecology); if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current Biologist 1 (Ecology) eligible list for this location, if one exists.
70.1 Transfer Qualifications:
One year of permanent competitive service as a Biologist 1 (Marine), Biologist 1 (Aquatic), Biologist 1 (Wildlife) or Biologist 1 (Ecology), Environmental Program Spec 1 Natural Resources for transfer in accordance with Section 70.1 of Civil Service Law.
Note: The transfer cannot be a second consecutive transfer resulting in an advancement of more than two salary grades.
For all transfers noted, a comprehensive list of titles approved for transfer is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.
Additional Comments Operational Need:
- Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license that allows the candidate to legally operate a motor vehicle in New York State as a term and condition of employment.
Approved Salary Ranges:
Biologist Trainee 1 (Ecology), SG-NS equated to SG-14 - $53,764 - $68,630
Biologist Trainee 2 (Ecology), SG-NS equated to SG-16 - $59,994 - $76,359
Biologist 1 (Ecology), SG-18 - $66,951- $85,138
If you have previous or current employment at a NYS agency, to be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office may contact you.
Benefits:
The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation offers a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to:
Paid Time Off:
- PEF: 44 days - 13 Vacation days, 13 Sick days, and 5 Personal Leave days, 13 Holidays.
- PEF: Three (3) days of professional leave annually to participate in professional development.
Health Care Benefits:
- Eligible employees and dependents can pick from a variety of affordable health insurance programs.
- Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.
Additional Benefits:
- New York State Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) Membership
- NYS Deferred Compensation
- Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, as well as U.S. Savings Bonds
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
- Paid Parental / Family Leave
To learn more about our benefits, visit: https://parks.ny.gov/employment/benefits.aspx.
For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a permanent non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.
At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered-in to the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered-in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024 and June 11, 2025. Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective 6/12/25 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.
This position may require a background check and/or medical exam prior to appointment.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
