This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Sugarcane Production Research Unit in Canal Point, FL. In this position, you will actively participate in molecular biology research related to sugarcane plants by performing a variety of technical duties in a laboratory, field, and/or greenhouse environment.

Duties

Collect, prepare, evaluate, and verify plant and plant pathogen samples. Perform a variety of techniques related to molecular biology including DNA and RNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis. Contribute ideas towards the planning and sequencing of the technical aspects of the research. Tabulate, statistically analyze, and summarize data using a variety of software packages including R, SAS, and/or Python.

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-08 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 successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience includes experience participating in one or more phases of a research project related to molecular biology and/or genomics; collecting and analyzing samples from plants; and operating, maintaining, calibrating, or modifying specialized 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. Related degrees may include Plant Genetics, Plant Physiology, Molecular Biology, or Biology. OR A combination of graduate level education and experience as described above. 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-08 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience includes experience setting up and conducting an experiment or research project related to molecular biology and/or genomics; collecting, preparing, and evaluating plant samples for DNA sequencing and supporting records; and utilizing software tools to manage and analyze phenotype, genotype, or sequencing data. 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. Related degrees may include Plant Genetics, Plant Physiology, Molecular Biology, or Biology. OR A combination of graduate level 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 141 Experimental Station Road Stoneville, MS 38776 US
• Name: Kayleigh Pfeiffer
• Phone: 703-995-9645
• Email: [email protected]