Job Opening for an Invasive Species Biologist
Invasive Species Biologist (GS-9/11)
You are invited to join our team charged with preventing and managing invasive species across the 75 National Wildlife Refuges from Maine to Virginia! The position will be located in one of the following two locations within the Division of Natural Resources and Conservation Planning:
- Hadley, MA – Regional Office, North Atlantic-Appalachian Region
- Sussex NJ – Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
Link to USA Jobs Announcements – closes October 12, 2021:
- All U.S. Citizens – https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/615537500
- Merit promotion – federal employees and other eligible applicants – https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/615537600
Please carefully follow the application procedures and include all Required Documents as part of the application.
The announcements include the opportunity to apply for a second position that will be located in Montana.
About the position
This newly created position will serve the National Wildlife Refuge System of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a member of the regional invasive species team, you will serve as a subject matter expert in identifying, detecting, preventing, and managing invasive plants and other species. You will help build a strategic and adaptive approach to managing invasive species, building on our scientific program that includes an innovative, thorough protocol framework for inventorying invasive plants. You will also have the opportunity to travel to the 75 National Wildlife Refuges of our region, spanning beautiful and diverse locations from Maine Coastal Islands to Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge of Virginia, where you will train and advise on-the-ground personnel assigned to monitor and manage invasive species.
About the locations
This position will be located either in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Hadley, Massachusetts or Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in Sussex, New Jersey.
Hadley, in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, has a mix of rural flavor and easy access to big city amenities. You will find here a reverence for history, a passion for participatory government, and a strong belief in the need for natural resource conservation. Five prestigious colleges and several community colleges are close by. We have a partnership with the University of Massachusetts, whose buildings are visible from our office. The 200-employee regional office is in a GSA-leased building that was recently refurbished. You may see deer, turkey, red-tailed hawks, great blue herons and the occasional bobcat or otter from your office window. A 9-mile-long bike path, perfect for lunchtime runs or commuting is within walking distance. Hadley is less than two hours’ drive from great downhill skiing and the Atlantic Ocean. The Connecticut River and many smaller rivers and lakes have boating and fishing. Housing is a mix of newer and older homes ranging from urban condo living to rural farms, all within a half hour’s drive of the regional office. New York City is 3 hours to the south, and Hadley is mid-way between Boston and Albany, both less than 2 hours away.
Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in Sussex, New Jersey is part of the Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and is located approximately in the center of the North Atlantic-Appalachian Region. Lenape refers to the indigenous tribes that inhabited the lands of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York State before colonial settlement. Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of 9 miles of the Wallkill River and 5,100 acres of diverse habitats including grasslands, bottomland forest, and an open water impoundment. The northern end of the refuge extends into New York State. Nearby High Point State Park in Sussex County provides access to hiking, cross-country skiing, and fishing and hosts a portion of the Appalachian Trail. The refuge is also located about 30 miles from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, and about 60 miles from New York City so this diverse area provides access to both a rural lifestyle with nature-based recreation as well as access to the amenities and arts of a big city. The office is located in a former farmhouse that offers views of fields and the river.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Scott Schwenk (william_schwenk@fws.gov) or Laura Eaton (Laura_Eaton@fws.gov).