This position is located in the Soybean/Maize Germplasm, Pathology & Genetics Research Unit, Agricultural Research Services, Midwest Area, Urbana, IL In this position, you will support the operational and day-to-day needs of the USDA National Collection of Soybean Germplasm including planting, managing, and harvesting field grown soybean plants, and processing associated data and seed inventories.

Duties

Collects, prepares, cleans, evaluates, and verifies the identity of seed samples and supporting records. Performs the full range of protocols and studies using a variety of specialized equipment. Keeps detailed records of experimental data. Tabulates, statistically analyzes, and summarizes data using computers and software packages.

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. GS-7 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-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 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 participating in a research project related to plant material, including seeds; collecting, statistically analyzing, or summarizing data; and maintaining equipment and automated systems used for plant or agricultural test and evaluation procedures. OR Education: Successful completion of one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Biology, Agriculture, Plant Science, Plant Pathology, and Plant Physiology. OR A combination of education and experience as described above. GS-8 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-08 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 participating in one or more phases of a row-crop research process; collecting and analyzing seed samples; and operating, maintaining, calibrating, or modifying specialized plant science or agricultural equipment. OR Education: Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Biology, Agriculture, Plant Science, Plant Pathology, and Plant Physiology. OR A combination of 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.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Jamar Victor
• Phone: (571) 347-3455
• Email: [email protected]