Operations Assistant Remote Jobs in Grand Junction, CO

Summary
This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grand Valley National Fish Hatchery located in Grand Junction, CO
Rate of Pay
GS-07 - $50,460 - $65,599
GS-09 - $61,722 - $80,243
Pay may vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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You will serve as a Biologist that offers an exciting opportunity to directly support the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin. As part of the Grand Junction Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, you will contribute to the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program through intensive, conservation-focused hatchery propagation and close coordination with partner agencies. We are looking for enthusiastic, collaborative individuals with a solid work ethic and commitment to scientific excellence, who are excited to develop their skills and contribute to our dynamic conservation program.
Successful candidates will possess a firm grounding in fisheries science, excellent interpersonal communication abilities, and the initiative, integrity, and adaptability needed to support a highly collaborative hatchery mission focused on recovering listed fishes.
At the full performance level (GS-11), the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Responsible for directing and accomplishing daily hatchery operational activities to accommodate hatchery requests for a variety of warm-water species.
• Assist with spawning and propagation of warm-water and conservation species.
• Identify, manage, and treat fish disease outbreaks, including the approved use of investigational new animal drugs, to ensure timely and effective fish health protection.
• Maintain water quality parameters to maximize production efficiency.
• Operational activities such as administrative procedures and reports, general hatchery administration, and maintenance activities.
• Plans, schedules, and conduct projects throughout the hatchery facilities, grounds, and equipment.
• Conducts various hatchery studies and evaluations. Is familiar with the propagational activities and fish cultural requirements of the wide variety of species reared at this station.
• Performs duties involving most phases of hatchery management, including planning extensive incubation schedules, developing ponds production schedules, daily pond information updating on computer software, and creating annual fish culture reports for a sixty-four pond facility.
• Computing and recording conversion rates and other dietary/growth information, observing and reporting results of treatments, preparing fish for shipment or distribution, and being state certified for the application of pesticides and chemicals (training provided if applicant does not have certification).
• Supervise and conduct hatchery effluent water quality monitoring to correlate with State Pollution Discharge Permit. Maintain water treatment system for the hatchery and residences.
• Responds to requests from the media, interested groups and/or leadership regarding the hatchery. Prepares correspondence in response to public inquiries and/or responds to interested fishery or other conservational groups.
• Perform routine hatchery operations required for safe and efficient operation, including operation of hatchery water systems, pumps, valves, feeders, alarms and other equipment.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
Physical Demands: The work involves a substantial amount of field work. When engaged in field activities, the work is at times strenuous, requiring exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities. The work requires average agility and dexterity. Travel to remote study sites may be required via boats, small aircraft, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and/or on foot. Extended periods of camping in tents or cabins in remote field camps may occur. Incumbent must be able to cope with the pressure of short time deadlines, responsibilities of logistics to remote areas, cultural conflicts, and adverse weather conditions. The incumbent may be required to lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
Work Environment: The work requires both office and outdoor work. The office is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. Frequent travel by various means of surface and air transportation is required to attend meetings and to conduct field work. A variety of temperature and weather extremes may be encountered while in the field. The incumbent may be subject to large numbers of biting insects and may be required to work in close proximity to large animals such as deer, elk, bear and moose. He/she may need to carry a firearm for personal protection from wildlife. In addition, the incumbent may be exposed to work situations involving hazardous substances, and must comply with Service health and safety policies, including appropriate safety clothing and equipment. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow workers, or property.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You may be required to work evenings and holidays.
• You will be required to work weekend rotating schedules and will be on call and required to respond. Paid overtime or compensatory time can be earned for working the weekend rotation.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/25/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
To qualify for this position, you must meet the following basic education and minimum qualification requirements:
Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the minimum qualification requirements for this position listed below, you must meet at least one of the following:

• A. Degree: Successfully completed a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
• B. Combination of education and experience: course work equivalent to a major (i.e., 24 semester hours) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a discipline closely related to biology; PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above.

-AND-
In addition to meeting the basic education requirements above, to qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience which includes, but is not limited to the following: carry out fish culture or aquatic animal husbandry activities including spawning, egg collection and fertilization, incubation, grading, inventory, fish health monitoring, transportation, stocking, and other routine hatchery production activities; assist in the propagation or recovery activities for threatened, endangered or other species of conservation concern by maintaining breeding populations, monitoring environmental conditions, collecting biological data, and implementing established biological protocols; collect biological data and ensure data accuracy; maintain electronic databases of fisheries data; and prepare reports or summaries used to support biological or management decisions. You must include hours per week worked in your resume to receive credit for experience.

OR-

• Education: Successful completion of at least one year (defined as the number of hours that the school attended determined to represent one full year of full-time study; if unavailable, then 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours will be considered as satisfying the requirement) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study directly related to the position such as in biological sciences, agriculture, botany, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

• Successfully completed a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement in a related field of study. Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Class standing Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 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 in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. You must submit a copy of your transcripts.

-OR-

• Combination of education and experience. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate GS-5 equivalent specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience requirement for the GS-7) and 9 semester hours of appropriate graduate level education (50% of the education requirement for the GS-7) would qualify an applicant for this position. You must submit a copy of your transcripts and provide hours worked per week in your resume.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirements above, to qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:

• Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience which includes, but is not limited to the following: manage assigned culture units (ponds, tanks, raceways) including feeding regimes, water quality monitoring, and routine adjustments; conduct broodstock handling, gamete processing, egg incubation, and fry rearing independently using establi