This position is located with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit, US National Poultry Research Center, Athens, GA. In this position, you will serve as a Research Chemist developing rapid and reliable techniques for measuring and enhancing the safety and quality of poultry products.

Duties

Apply conventional and novel analytical techniques to understand potential sources of poultry product contaminants (biological, chemical, and physical) and food safety issues that can occur during poultry production, processing, and distribution. Apply conventional and novel analytical techniques to gain a better understanding of how the underlying chemical, biological, and physical properties of poultry muscle influence the quality and composition of poultry meat products. Identify chemical constituents, molecular properties, and chemical reactions of substances in poultry products and contaminants to form a basis for the spectroscopic or imaging-based discrimination of poultry safety and quality. Develop chemometric models based on the correlation of discriminatory properties with safety and quality data to facilitate rapid assessment of food safety and quality issues. Develop rapid and reliable techniques for measuring and enhancing the safety and quality of poultry products. Collaborate with government, university, and private sector scientists to accomplish research. Analyze, interpret, and disseminate research findings in the form of reports, presentations, publications in scientific journals, and interactions with stakeholders.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• 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/
• Successful completion of a three year probationary period.

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 Requirements Series 1320 - Chemist: Degree: physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics. OR Combination of education and experience: course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Additional Requirements In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below. GS-12: Applicants must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are: conducting basic and applied research on the safety and quality of food products; utilizing a wide range of established analytical techniques and equipment to determine the chemical, biological and physical properties of food; and publishing research results in peer reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific meetings. GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are: planning and conducting original basic and applied research on the safety and quality of food products; utilizing a wide range of established analytical techniques and equipment and using novel methods to measure the chemical, biological, and physical properties of food; publishing research results as a first-author in peer reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific meetings; and having established record of invitations, grant funding, and research collaborations. GS-14:Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: conceptualizing/conceiving, planning, and conducting original basic and applied research on the safety and quality of food products; utilizing a wide range of established analytical techniques and equipment and developing new analytical tools and methods for measuring the chemical, biological, and physical properties of food; developing rapid and reliable techniques for measuring and enhancing the safety and quality of food products; publishing research results as a first-author in peer reviewed journals and presenting findings at scientific meetings; having established record of invitations, grant fundings, research collaborations, and stakeholder interactions; and experience leading a team of scientists in food safety and quality research. 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. Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 141 Experimental Station Road Stoneville, MS 38776 US
• Name: Ehila Melton
• Phone: 5716694043
• Email: [email protected]