Seasonal Animal Keeper Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
You will serve as a Animal Caretaker (Seasonal) working within the Department of Interior, U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service, for the Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Anderson California.
This is a temporary position expected to last 6 months or Not to Exceed 1039 hours. but may be extended up to a maximum of two years based on agency needs and potential funding.
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Duties
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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Actively involved in the entire production cycle of the hatchery from spawning to egg care and feeding, to hatching and fry care, to raising of fry, to rearing and release of adult fish, and subsequent harvesting of new eggs to continue the cycle. In addition to routine care requirements, at this level, incumbent decides the care and feeding required according to their personal observations at the time in question.
• Operates electric, gasoline, or diesel-powered forklift trucks with rated lifting capacity of less than 10,000 pounds, to a height up to14 feet. Operates the lifting and tilting controls, and steers the vehicle, with automatic or manual transmissions (with up to 4 speeds), into position to load, move, transport, and stack goods and materials contained on pallets, skids, crates, or boxes.
• Performs assignments relative to general maintenance e.g., buildings, grounds, facilities, and/or fleet using simple hand tools and simple power equipment. This includes picking up trash, emptying trashcans, mowing grass, trimming shrubs, clearing small trees or brush, performing minor repairs on traps and fences, washing or cleaning vehicles, etc.

Physical Effort: Regular and recurring work requires heavy physical effort. The incumbent must be physically able to withstand arduous conditions. This typically involves: Physical exertion: frequent lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling fish, feeding trays, feed, supplies, and materials of varying weights, sizes, and shapes up to 75 pounds. Feed lifted is generally 50 pounds to height of 4 feet. Occasionally, lifting between 80-100 pounds is required. Physical effort: prolonged standing, walking, stooping, bending, and climbing. Strain: lack of movement, standing in place or stooping for extended periods of time; manual dexterity involved in handling live fish, frequent immersion of hands in cold water. Subject to bites and scratches on hands and arms during the spawning process where incumbent will be handling large fish where the ability to move fast and decisively is critical. The work requires periods of sustained exertion. In emergency operations, such as cleaning and adjustment of water intake structures during high water, leaf drop, or in spawning operations, where the need to work rapidly in sorting and selecting fish for egg selection is critical to keeping the mortality rate low.
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 possess and maintain a valid State driver's license prior to operating Government-owned vehicles.
• The position is required to wear the Service Uniform in accordance with Service Uniform Policy 041 FW 4 Requirements to help achieve our mission. Employees required to wear the uniform receive a uniform allowance. For positions that require a uniform to be worn Employees and Supervisors need to complete the Uniform Policy: Condition of Employment Statement Form found in the Policy.

Qualifications
By 09/04/2026 of this announcement, you must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook X118C, Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupation.
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/
Although no specific amount of experience, education or training is required, applicants must meet a minimum level of ability in relation to the position and the Assessment Questionnaire in order to be rated qualified for consideration. To be qualified candidates must meet any screen out element(s) listed at an "acceptable" level, and must achieve an average rating of at least "acceptable" on all of the elements. Only education, training, or experience acquired before the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements.
The screen out element for this position is: ABILITY TO DO THE WORK OF AN ANIMAL CARETAKER WITHOUT MORE THAN NORMAL SUPERVISION, with experience to provide for the routine needs of hatchery fish, such as 1) catching and handling fish with nets or hands; 2) providing regular/scheduled feed; 3) recognizing obvious changes to fish appearance and activity such as pregnancy, fighting, or refusal to feed; and 4) keeping records such as fish size, weight, sex, and age.
Volunteer 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.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.
Additional information
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.
The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
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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.
Benefits
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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.
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.
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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.