This position is located with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Pacific West Area (PWA), Western Regional Research Center (WRRC), Invasive Species & Pollinator Health Research Unit (ISPHRU), Mueller Lab in Albany, CA. The responsibilities of the incumbent will be to provide specialized technical assistance to research grounded in microbial ecology that aims to better identify effective microbial biocontrol agents.

Duties

Duties listed represent the full performance level of the position. Incumbent will focus on identifying and characterizing novel and established microbial biocontrol?s of a variety of invasive plants. Incumbent will use a range of specialized technical approaches, including genomics of microbial isolates to characterize functional pathways of potential biocontrol agents, greenhouse studies to identify mechanisms of interactions between invasive species and microbes, and field studies to understand how invasive plants modify plant-soil feedbacks across broad spatial and environmental gradients. Independently develops or designs various technical aspects of the research projects on the basis of overall objectives outlined by the supervisor. Operates and maintains a variety of highly specialized complex equipment which must be calibrated and synchronized to achieve desired results.

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
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• 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/

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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled and which has supplied the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the job. GS-08: Experience: The qualification requirements for this position at the GS-08 grade level includes one-year specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent, participating in microbiology research involving plant-microbe interactions; isolating bacteria from plant or environmental samples; recording and analyzing scientific data related to plant-microbe interactions; and operating standard laboratory equipment in support of experiments related to culture-based or molecular microbiology. OR Education: Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree that is directly related to the work of the position. Related degrees may include Microbiology, Biology, Animal Science, Zoology, or Ecology. OR A qualifying combination of graduate education and experience as described above. GS-09: Experience: The qualification requirements for this position at the GS-09 grade level includes one-year specialized experience at the GS-08 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent, conducting a portion of an experiment or research project related to plant-microbe interactions; isolating bacteria from plant or environmental samples; collecting and evaluating samples related to plant-microbe interactions; preparing scientific information to be included in manuscripts or preparing reports; and operating standard laboratory equipment in support of experiments related to culture-based or molecular microbiology OR Education: Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree that is directly related to the work of the position. Related degrees may include Microbiology, Biology, Animal Science, Zoology, or Ecology. OR A qualifying combination of graduate education and experience as described above. 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

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

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