This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plains Area (PA), at the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, in Manhattan, KS. In this position, you will help to protect the U.S. from foreign animal pathogens through the performance of basic and applied research.

Duties

Plans and carries out individual experiments within prescribed approaches. Reviews pertinent scientific literature and selects methods and procedures most appropriate for the research goals. Prepares results of findings from experiments conducted. Devises and recommends alternative methods of standardized analysis to solve problems, consulting with supervisor prior to modifying methods.

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/
• Pre-employment and random testing of substances of abuse.
• Participation in and adherence to the facility’s Occupational Health Program.
• Participation in and adherence to the facility’s Personal Reliability Program.
• The ability to obtain/maintain a Security clearance.
• The ability to obtain/maintain Select Agent clearance.

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. In addition to meeting the basic requirements described below in the education section, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below. 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 participating in microbiological research related to disease, immunology, or animals; collecting and analyzing biological samples; and operating standard laboratory equipment. OR Education: Two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, if related. Related degrees may include Microbiology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or Public Health. OR An appropriate combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. For health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of disease, immunization against diseases being studied at PIADC which are transmissible to humans may be required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended in 21 USC 321-392. Where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for investigational purposes, the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary. To comply with the USDA APHIS Tier One Select Agent program the Occupational Health and Personnel Reliability Plans have been updated and the following addendum has been added to the position: This is a Public Trust Position and requires that the incumbent be a United States Citizen. As a condition of employment, a security background investigation will be conducted and the incumbent must be registered and accepted into the Select Agent and Toxin program mandated by the Center for Disease Control/United States Department of Agriculture as appropriate to the position's assignments. FADRU's mission is research, diagnosis and vaccinations for animal diseases foreign to the United States (U.S.) for the purpose of protecting American agriculture and domestic food sources from their potentially devastating effects. This research unit is vital to successfully protecting U.S. agriculture from the intentional or non-intentional introduction of foreign animal diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth disease. This position is required to work in a biosafety level 3Ag environment where high threat livestock biologic agents can be transmitted by aerosol. The incumbent must demonstrate the physical and psychological capability to conduct normal duties that are appropriate to their position. To prevent the transmission of disease out of biocontainment and retention of the position, the incumbent must meet the following medical standards in a pre-employment medical examination conducted after the receipt of a preliminary job offer and on a periodic basis: Ability to shower out of biocontainment one or more times per day and: Not have any skin condition which would prevent this; Body piercings must be able to be removed prior to entry; External medical assist devices must have the ability to be removed prior to entering biocontainment, and the individual must still be able to shower out safely without assistance. Ability to follow instructions regarding decontamination from biocontainment. Any medical condition which could create an unsafe environment for the individual or his/her co-workers, such as: Insufficient control of a medical disorder which could result in sudden loss of consciousness; Inadequate vision and hearing required for safety in a laboratory environment. Medical confidentiality will be maintained by the examining physician and only fitness (or unfit) for duty determination will be indicated. The incumbent will also be required to pass periodic fitness for duty physicals. In addition, a medical clearance will be required in the event that it becomes necessary to enter an area where an air purifying respirator is required. Duties of this position may also require: Due to chemical and biological aerosol hazards the individual must meet the medical requirements to wear an air purifying respirator and be entered into the Respiratory Protection Program. (May not apply depending on the duties of the position) Due to potential exposure to zoonotic agents and recommendations of CDC and OSHA the individual must also be vaccinated for rabies or demonstrate a protective titer and also be currently vaccinated for tetanus and human influenza. (May not apply depending on the duties of the position) A baseline blood sample may be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facilities. For the health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of disease, immunization against diseases being studied which are transmissible to humans may be required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness under the provision of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended 21 USC 321-392. Where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for investigational purposes, the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary. Due to the contagious nature to livestock of Foot-and-Mouth disease, and other diseases under study, Biological Safety Regulations specify a personal quarantine for employees working in BSL-3 biocontainment. As a condition for employment, all personnel entering the BSL-3 biocontainment facilities shall not be in contact with specific susceptible animals and their premises for a period of five (5) days after leaving bio-containment. Currently, restricted species are cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, and swine. Contact with horses, birds (agricultural and pet birds) and rabbits are normally permitted, but restrictions may be placed on staff working with or near contagious agents affecting these species. Restricted livestock or other restricted animals may not be housed on the premises where the employee lives and where the quarantine cannot be enforced. Employees who violate this requirement may be removed from employment or subject to other disciplinary actions. The incumbent is required to travel to and from either Orient Point, New York, or Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to Plum Island aboard Government provided marine vessels. 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

Basic Requirements
Degree: microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.
OR
Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Graduate Education: Microbiology, or specific area of study such as cell biology, biochemistry, virology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal physiology or genetics, and insect disease vector biology and/or control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.

Evaluation of Education: Microbiology is a broad field of science encompassing a number of scientific disciplines or areas of science, the fields in which this science is applied, and related fields where the work is concerned with or involves microbiology. The scientific disciplines or areas of this science include bacteriology, immunology, serology, tissue culture, virology, and similar disciplines or areas of science. The applied fields include environmental, food, dairy, soil, industrial, public health, clinical, and agricultural microbiology, and similar areas in which microbiology is applied. Related fields include taxonomy and systematics, plant, animal, or human physiology or pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, ecology, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related or applies to microbiology. Except where the course work deals with a limited and specific segment of the science, where it might be limited in usefulness, most of the work, including that dealing with the development and use of microbiological methods, procedures, and techniques, is qualifying. In interpreting the substantive value of the course work, credit may be given for courses in related fields, depending on the degree to which the courses are related to micro-biological work.

Evaluation of Experience: For positions at GS-9 that involve a substantial amount of work in a specific specialized area or applied field of microbiology, at least 6 months of the experience must either have been in the appropriate area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered. For the GS-11 and higher grade levels of such specialized positions, the experience must have been sufficiently specialized to ensure adequate familiarity with the area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 2150 Centre Avenue Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526 US
• Name: Juliana Hensley
• Phone: (571) 669-3483
• Email: [email protected]