BIOLOGIST

Job Definition:

• Biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals study living organisms and their interactions with each other and with the environment, and apply this knowledge to solve human health and environmental problems. They work in diverse fields such as botany, zoology, ecology, marine biology, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology, physiology, bacteriology and virology.

Job Description:

• Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
• 2) Program and use computers to store, process and analyze data.
• 3) Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
• 4) Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution.
• 5) Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.
• 6) Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
• 7) Prepare environmental impact reports for industry, government, or publication.
• 8) Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
• 9) Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
• 10) Research environmental effects of present and potential uses of land and water areas, determining methods of improving environmental conditions or such outputs as crop yields.
• 11) Review reports such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development for accuracy and adequacy.
• 12) Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
• 13) Teach, supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
• 14) Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
• 15) Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.
• 16) Study and manage wild animal populations.
• 17) Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
• 18) Cultivate, breed, and grow aquatic life, such as lobsters, clams, or fish.
• 19) Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
• 20) Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
• 21) Study reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites.
• 22) Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods.

Activities:

• 1) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 2) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 3) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 4) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 5) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 6) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 7) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 8) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 9) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 10) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 11) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 12) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 13) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 14) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 15) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 6) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 7) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 8) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 9) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 10) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 11) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
• 12) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 13) Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• 14) Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• 15) Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Knowledge:

• 1) Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 2) Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 3) Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• 4) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 5) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 6) Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 7) Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• 8) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 9) Geography — Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• 10) Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• 11) Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• 12) Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• 13) Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.