Agriculturist (Training Specialist)/Biological Scientist/Biologist (Computational)

Summary

The selected applicants will design, develop, deliver emergency response training programs, and scientific training programs OR diagnose animal diseases foreign to the U.S., support outbreak response OR be responsible for simulation modeling, statistical analysis, and/or ecological/epidemiological modeling. Vacancies by location: Fort Collins (1); Starkville, MS (1); Millville, UT (1); Manhattan, KS (3), Glynco, GA or Frederick, MD (9)

Duties

• The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Provides guidelines, procedures, and expertise for the effective delivery of technical and scientific classroom training, maintains training records, and schedules training.
• Delivers instruction for basic and advanced courses in the agricultural and regulatory enforcement sciences by lecturing and leading discussions using interactive training processes.
• Designs, executes, interprets and reports on experiments and experimental data associated with development and validation of new or modified diagnostic assays and/or reagents production methods.
• Characterization of laboratory diagnostic samples and/or biological materials using traditional microbiological techniques, virus isolation and sophisticated molecular biological techniques.
• Performs assays for the detection of antigens, nucleic acids and antibodies indicating the presence of a foreign animal disease.
• Conduct research related to one health and/or invasive species management, including developing models, and analyzing data.
• Write up peer-reviewed publications or technical reports, and present results to stakeholders.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: post high school education with courses equivalent to a major, which is defined as 24 semester/36 quarter hours, in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to the position, PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-9 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Enforce agricultural regulations through inspection of agricultural commodities intended for import or export, overseeing regulatory treatment of imported commodities, enforcing agricultural compliance, or conducting pest survey operations. Communicate science or agricultural regulatory concepts to individuals, colleagues, management or groups of people. Address a variety of scientific needs and program priorities related to control of agricultural pests, wildlife or livestock disease management, or wildlife management. Coordinate, lead, and promote program activities independently to stakeholders and external audiences. Address agricultural stakeholder needs using technical knowledge and the most pertinent science and technology. OR Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in the fields of biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information. How You Will Be Evaluated

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any specialized experience and/or selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, your application is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13072592 Additional Information - USA Hire Online Assessment All applicants are required to complete the online USA Hire assessment to be considered for the position for this vacancy. Applicants will not be given the opportunity to complete the online USA Hire assessment outside of the assigned assessment window for this vacancy. Other Information

Agriculturist (Training Specialist) position has nine vacancies in Glynco GA or Frederick MD; Biologist (Computational) position has one vacancy in each of the following locations, Fort Collins CO, Starkville MS, and Millville UT; Biological Scientist position has three vacancies in Manhattan KS. You will be limited to choosing no more than 3 locations for this announcement, including "location negotiable" which may cover additional future vacancies. You will not be considered for locations you do not choose. Due to expedited timelines and mission demands, if you are selected for a position listed on this announcement, you will only receive a job offer for one location. Declining the original offer will not allow you to be considered for other locations/positions from this announcement. Duty locations are limited to those listed in this announcement and are not negotiable. While you may optionally indicate additional states or territories of interest, vacancies are not anticipated outside the listed locations. Applicants should not expect referral for other locations unless conditions change. Relocation may be offered for certain positions based on business need. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be well qualified, which means having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements for this position. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100 to receive selection priority. First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected. Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.