These positions are in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Field Organization, Northeast Area (NEA), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory located in Beltsville, MD. In these positions, you will provide technical R&D support to scientists involved in deriving, computing, and delivering genetic evaluations to the US dairy industry.

Duties

Evaluates the adequacy of the results for meeting project objectives. Cooperates with other animal scientists, computer specialists, and research scientists to assist in the development of software tools and documentation needed to implement research in national and international genetic evaluation systems. Provides scientific support by assisting research scientists to conduct, report, and implement their research projects. Performs research-related tasks involving portions of research projects assigned by research scientists. Summarizes experimental results of straightforward projects in the form suitable as the basis for the first draft of written reports to scientific journals. Assists in the preparation of reports on research results for presentation at scientific meetings and other regional or national meetings and workshops.

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 A. Degree: animal science, dairy science, poultry science; or a related discipline or field of animal science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic biological and agricultural sciences, and 20 semester hours in animal science. - For animal scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in courses dealing with the breeding, feeding, production, and management of livestock, and the care and preparation of their products. OR B. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in the basic biological and agricultural sciences, including a minimum of 20 semester hours in appropriate animal science subjects, as described in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Most universities offering appropriate programs confer degrees in "animal science" rather than in "animal husbandry," although some universities still confer degrees in "animal husbandry." Therefore, reference to course work in respective animal, dairy, or poultry husbandry, where applicable, may be considered synonymous with corresponding course work in animal, dairy, or poultry science. Graduate Education: To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in animal, dairy, or poultry science; or in a specialized subject-matter area of science directly related to these sciences, such as feeds and feeding or nutrition, breeding, and development, physiology, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on one of the recognized specialized subject-matter areas of animal, dairy, or poultry science. Graduate study in related disciplines or fields of science, such as agronomy, microbiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and dairy, food, or fiber technology (if it dealt with pertinent products or their production) may also be qualifying, provided the graduate work placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on one of the recognized fields or subject-matter areas of animal, dairy, or poultry science. Evaluation of Education: Course work in such subjects as agronomy, animal, dairy, or poultry science, biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, physiology, genetics, and biochemistry may be used to meet the general 30-semester-hour requirement in the basic biological and agricultural sciences. Course work in such subjects as zoology, embryology, animal breeding or genetics, physiology, biochemistry, and any phase of animal, dairy, or poultry science may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in animal science. Course work in animal science includes those subjects dealing with the specific kinds and classes of livestock, e.g., cattle, swine, sheep, or fur bearers, their breeding and development, nutrition, management, and utilization; and the qualities and uses of their products, e.g., meat, wool, or leather. Course work in dairy science includes those subjects dealing with the specific kinds and classes of dairy animals; their nutrition and management; the utilization of their products; and courses dealing with the establishment of lineages, various phases of a dairy operation, milk quality, etc. Course work in poultry science includes those subjects dealing with the kinds and classes of poultry; their breeding and development; the establishment of specific strains; their nutrition and management; the utilization of their products; and courses dealing with specific areas peculiar to poultry science, such as genetic or environmental factors, or rearrangement of cycles. AND In addition to meeting the basic requirements as described below, applicants must also meet the following qualification requirements. GS-09 Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience assisting with conducting and reporting experimental results from an animal research program; using computers to carry out statistical analyses with research data; and documenting scientific findings. OR Education: Successful completion of two (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 animal science, zoology, genetics, or dairy science. OR A combination of education and specialized experience as described above. GS-11 Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience contributing and reporting experimental results from an animal research program; using computers to carry out statistical analyses with research data; using scripting languages including Fortran, C, R, SAS, or Python; performing statistical analysis; and documenting scientific findings for inclusion in manuscripts or scientific journals. OR Education: Successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or Ph.D. equivalent doctoral degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include animal science, zoology, genetics, or dairy science. OR A combination of education and specialized 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 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Kendra Bledsoe
• Phone: 7032599425
• Email: [email protected]