This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service, Southeast Area, Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit (WARU) in Stoneville, MS. In this position you will be responsible for providing leadership and coordinating the interdisciplinary research programs of the WARU which conducts research to develop technologies that improve the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of fish farming in the United States.

Duties

Provides leadership for, and coordinates the interdisciplinary research programs of the WARU which conducts research in support of ARS National Program 106–Aquaculture. Develops technologies that improve the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of fish farming in the United States. Independently plans and conducts personal research within the incumbents’ specialty to support the laboratory’s mission. Lead and perform research providing data that leads to understanding of the genetic basis of phenotypic variation, development of genetically improved germplasm, identification and remediation of environmental factors that limit catfish production. Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively, facilitating an open exchange of ideas, and building teams. Develops a vision (in collaboration with National Program Staff and the Area Office) for how the unit will continue to serve stakeholders and the American public to improve catfish production in the US.

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.
• Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• 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 for Biology Series, 0401 Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Basic Requirements for Genetics Series, 0440 Degree: genetics; or one of the basic biological sciences that included at least 9 semester hours in genetics. Graduate Education: Genetics, or a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on genetics. Graduate study in related fields such as agronomy, horticulture, animal, dairy, or poultry husbandry, entomology, microbiology, plant pathology, chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and physiology that involved cross-training in genetics is qualifying, provided it placed sufficient emphasis on genetics. Evaluation of Education: Most students in the field take graduate work because specific training in genetics may be limited at the undergraduate level. Under these circumstances, it may be necessary to evaluate undergraduate course work in genetics in one of two ways, as described below, to determine whether or not it is qualifying. Courses dealing with genetics, some phase of genetics, or specific techniques that are applied in genetics work are acceptable. This includes courses in genetics, plant or animal genetics, molecular and cellular biology, mathematics and statistics (as they apply to genetics), population dynamics, and certain techniques such as those dealing with irradiation. Course work consisting of an appropriate combination of basic courses in genetics and cytology or statistics are also acceptable. Basic Requirements for Fish Biology Series, 0482 Degree: with major study in biology, zoology, or biological oceanography that included at least 30 semester hours in biological and aquatic science and 15 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences. This course work must have included: At least 15 semester hours of preparatory training in zoology beyond introductory biology or zoology in such courses as invertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, histology, physiology, embryology, advanced vertebrate zoology, genetics, entomology, and parasitology; and At least 6 semester hours of training applicable to fishery biology in such subjects as fishery biology, ichthyology, limnology, oceanography, algology, planktonology, marine or fresh water ecology, invertebrate ecology, principles of fishery population dynamics, or related course work in the field of fishery biology; and At least 15 semester hours of training in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, or statistics Additional Requirements In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above and in the education section below, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below. 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: Communicating with stakeholders and translating their needs into researchable objectives; managing research projects such as personnel, equipment, and fiscal resources; and conducting research developing a breeding program for the selective improvement of farmed aquatic animals. GS-15 Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 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-15 level of this position are: Designing experiments and statistical analyses related to freshwater fish; leading multidisciplinary teams or acting as a liaison; enhancing scientific productivity by mentoring and supervising scientists and managing large-scale research projects; and identifying and remedying environmental factors that limit fish production 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. 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. 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

Basic Requirements for Animal Science Series, 0487
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

• For dairy scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in dairy science.
• For poultry scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in poultry science.

OR
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.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 141 Experimental Station Road Stoneville, MS 38776 US
• Name: Matthew Knoche
• Phone: (571) 418-0373
• Email: [email protected]