These positions are located in Shenandoah National Park, in the Natural and Cultural Resources Division. Do you want the opportunity to utilize your skills and work in a biologically diverse, forested, mountain setting? Does the challenge of protecting the natural resources of a National Park appeal to you? If so, read on...
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/06/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: conducting wildlife inventory, monitoring, or management activities. GS-5 Level: conducting field surveys to document and assess mammal presence, abundance, reproduction, and/or population dynamics using established protocols and standard scientific equipment; conducting or assisting with nuisance black bear management culvert trapping and/or aversive conditioning; conducting white-tailed deer management in a professional work or research setting. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or 24 semester hours of course work in a related field of scientific or technical study, such as biology, wildlife ecology, wildlife management, zoology, entomology, botany, animal husbandry, wildlife survey techniques, mammalogy, ornithology, dendrology, or natural resources management. At least 6 semester hours of courses must be in wildlife ecology, wildlife management, wildlife survey techniques, mammalogy, or wildlife biology (or other course work that is directly related to the specialized focus of this position - wildlife management). You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years (90 semester hours) of college study that included at least 12 semester hours of the required courses (50% of the qualifying education/coursework). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: 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). This experience includes activities such as: conducting field surveys in remote locations to document and assess mammal presence, abundance, reproduction, and/or population dynamics using established protocols and standard scientific equipment; conducting food-conditioned black bear culvert trapping (or free-range capture) and habituated black bear aversive conditioning; conducting white-tailed deer management including Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance/sampling in a professional work or research setting. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of the position such as biology, wildlife ecology, wildlife management, zoology, entomology, botany, animal husbandry, wildlife survey techniques, mammalogy, ornithology, dendrology, or natural resources management. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 9 semester hours of graduate education, (50% of the education required to qualify) directly related to this position. Examples of education directly related to the position are: biology, wildlife ecology, wildlife management, zoology, entomology, botany, animal husbandry, wildlife survey techniques, mammalogy, ornithology, dendrology, or natural resources management. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: leading crews managing wildlife inventory, monitoring, or management activities on mammals/wildlife; researching and compiling natural resource/wildlife data; conducting field surveys in remote locations to document and assess mammal presence, abundance, reproduction, and/or population dynamics using established protocols and standard scientific equipment; conducting food-conditioned black bear culvert trapping (or free-range capture) and habituated black bear aversive conditioning; conducting white-tailed deer management including Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance/sampling in a professional work or research setting; independently resolving problems; selecting the best course of action for planning and executing work; etc.. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education in an accredited educational institution (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of the position such as biology, wildlife ecology, wildlife management, zoology, entomology, botany, animal husbandry, wildlife survey techniques, mammalogy, ornithology, dendrology, or natural resources management. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with 9 semester hours of graduate education, (50% of the education required to qualify) directly related to this position. Examples of education directly related to the position are biology, wildlife ecology, wildlife management, zoology, entomology, botany, animal husbandry, wildlife survey techniques, mammalogy, ornithology, dendrology, or natural resources management. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. 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.
Initial Cut-off Date: This is an open continuous announcement in which applications are collected over several months, and have multiple cut-off dates. Applications will be considered throughout the open period of the announcement. ** The first cut-off date for early referral is January 16, 2026. ** Referral certificates will be issued when a hiring official exhausts current certificate and/or additional vacancies need to be filled. The purpose of this position is to perform human-wildlife conflicts management in Shenandoah National Park. The incumbent performs as a field assistant to park biologists and a Lead Biological Technician to implement a human-wildlife conflict/ aversive conditioning program (primarily black bear). Major duties include: Educate the public about human/wildlife conflict to prevent wildlife habituation. Assess habituated or food-conditioned black bear and white-tailed deer behavior in developed areas. Perform basic aversive conditioning on habituated bears and deer throughout the park's developed areas. Basic aversive conditioning includes the ability to safely use air horns, paintball guns, and projectile noisemakers for the purposes of hazing primarily habituated black bear and deer. Conduct (or assist with) food-conditioned bear culvert-trapping and will assist with relocations. Assist with food-conditioned bear free-range capture work (including tagging and collaring). Live-trap nuisance raccoons and skunks. Conduct surveillance for potential chronic wasting disease (CWD) positive deer and conduct opportunistic CWD surveillance by sampling road-killed deer throughout the park. Maintain wildlife management equipment. Use standardized software for preliminary wildlife data entry, analysis, and summary. Report natural resource-related violations to law enforcement staff. May assist with other wildlife monitoring, forest pest management, peregrine falcon restoration work and park search and rescue operations. THIS POSITION INVOLVES SOME LONG DISTANCE HIKING, UP TO 5 MILES A DAY IN STEEP, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN ALL TYPES OF WEATHER. THERE MAY BE FREQUENT EXPOSURE TO HIGH HEAT & HUMIDITY, COLD, WIND, RAIN, STINGING INSECTS, AND TICKS (INCLUDING TICKS THAT CARRY LYME DISEASE). SELECTEE MUST BE CAPABLE OF LIFTING, CARRYING AND PACKING OBJECTS AND LOADS OF 40-50 POUNDS. THE POSITION REQUIRES FREQUENT STRENUOUS ACTIVITY (EG., INCLUDING BEING ABLE TO LOAD A BEAR CULVERT TRAP INTO THE BACK OF PICK-UP TRUCK). It is anticipated that one position will be filled at the GS-05 grade level and one position will be filled at either the GS-06 or GS-07 grade level. POSITION LOCATION: Shenandoah National Park preserves and protects more than 300 square miles of nationally significant natural and cultural resources, scenic beauty, and congressionally designated wilderness within Virginia's northern Blue Ridge Mountains; and provides a broad range of opportunities for public enjoyment, recreation, inspiration, and stewardship. Within just 90 miles of Washington D.C. the Park provides visitors the ability to explore mountain peaks, hidden hollows, cascading streams, accessible wilderness, and stunning natural beauty. With approximately 40% of the Park as designated wilderness with over 500 miles of hiking trails and the iconic Skyline Drive, SHEN was established as an eastern Park that provided a "western Park experience". Due to the Park's easy accessibility to D.C and other highly populated areas along the east coast, visitation exceeds 1.4 million visitors annually which results in significant resource protection and visitor management issues and incidents.