This position is located with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Pacific West Area (PWA), Crops Improvement & Protection Research Unit in Salinas, California and will be responsible for providing research support to the Research Leader. The initial appointment will be 13 months with ability to extend up to 10 years. Decision to extend will be up to the Hiring Manager and the needs of the unit.

Duties

Duties listed represent the full performance level of the position. Performs a range of experiments involving application of molecular biology and bioinformatics and related methods with a particular emphasis on plant viruses and their interactions with host plants and insect vectors. Plans and carries out individual experiments within prescribed approaches. Performs tests and analyses by applying established analytical methods and procedures or by operating an automated analytical system according to established operating procedures. Maintains official laboratory notebooks recording the methods and procedures used, any modifications of methodology applied, and the results. Prepares results of findings from experiments conducted, including initial interpretation of significance to the overall project, for inclusion in manuscripts and technical reports.

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. Basic Requirements for the GS-07 & GS-09 grade levels: A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. AND GS-07: Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled and which provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the job. Experience: The qualification requirements for this position at the GS-07 grade level includes one-year specialized experience at the GS-05 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent, assisting in molecular biological experiments related to plant pathology, virology, and/or genetics; maintaining laboratory equipment and instrumentation; and recording experimental data. OR Education: Successful completion of 1 year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field directly related to the duties of the position. Related degrees may include plant pathology, genetics, molecular biology, horticulture, plant biology, biochemistry, or other related biological sciences. OR Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.). (1) A grade point average of B (a GPA of 3.0 or higher) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last 2 full years of undergraduate study; OR (2) A grade point average of B (a GPA of 3.5 or higher) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; OR (3) Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision; OR (4) Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Combination of Education & Experience: 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-07 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent, assisting in molecular biological experiments related to plant pathology, virology, and/or genetics; maintaining laboratory equipment and instrumentation; recording experimental data; and using experimental data to prepare scientific reports. OR Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include plant pathology, genetics, molecular biology, horticulture, plant biology, biochemistry, or other related biological sciences. OR Combination of Education & Experience: 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

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Contacts

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