This position is located with the Crop Diseases, Pests & Genetics Research Unit in Parlier, CA. The overall goal of the research is the development and introduction of new high quality and disease resistant cultivars of grapefruit, lemons, mandarins, and oranges that will sustain American agriculture and supply high quality nutritious fruits to US consumers and international markets. **ANNOUNCEMENT IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED OR NOVEMBER 24, 2023**

Duties

The incumbent is assigned to a Research Plant Pathologist conducting basic and applied research on Citrus breeding and evaluation. Provides professional research support and performs technical duties, including coordinating the establishment of a new Citrus orchard. Evaluating effects of biotic and abiotic stresses in both elite and non-domesticated germplasm, and assessment of water quality and quantity on Citrus health and productivity. Coordinate with Breeding Insight to begin developing infrastructure for genotypic selection in Citrus populations.

Requirements

• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
• Direct Deposit ? Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• Appropriations Law and Immigration Law requirements must be met

Qualifications

This position requires a Ph.D in Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, Horticulture, Plant Genetics or a related field of study that has equipped the applicant with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Other fields of studies that may be qualifying are plant sciences or entomology. Applicants must meet basic Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard's requirements of the scientific discipline necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Please visit the appropriate link below to see what the basic OPM requirements are for the identified series: Plant Pathology: Plant Pathology Series 0434 (opm.gov) Plant Physiology: Plant Physiology Series 0435 (opm.gov) Horticulture: Horticulture Series 0437 (opm.gov) Genetics (Plants): Genetics Series 0440 (opm.gov) In addition to the requirements above, the other desirable knowledge/skills/abilities include: Demonstrated knowledge of plant genetics and pathology. Demonstrated experience in field work and plant breeding. Demonstrated knowledge of principles and practices of citrus production. Demonstrated knowledge of techniques and procedures for plant propagation, with ability to recognize and quickly correct problems that arise. Demonstrated knowledge of laboratory techniques and standard instrumentation used for research in fruit quality evaluations, pathogen detection and DNA extraction / quantification. Demonstrated experience conducting plant molecular biology techniques including QPCR, RT-QPCR, DNA isolation, DNA manipulation techniques and sequencing. Ability and willingness to test new technologies in citrus. Skills in command-line programming, R, and bio-informatics is beneficial. Ability to instruct other employees assigned to assist in the accomplishment of specific tasks. Ability to identify and eliminate greenhouse/field pests with appropriate crop care products. Knowledge of safe laboratory practices. Demonstrated skill in developing and executing experimental studies in support of research objectives and in evaluating / interpreting data from various analyses.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. You must submit a copy of your academic transcripts OR a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify education when applying for this position. If this information is not provided, your education may not be appropriately evaluated and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are selected for this position, you will have to provide an official copy of your transcripts prior to entering on duty. Application materials will not be returned.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 800 Buchanan Street Albany, CA 94710 US
• Name: Melissa Smith
• Phone: 510-559-6312
• Email: [email protected]