The position is for a term Biologist GS-11 and is with the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Fort Collins, CO. The position will be based in Fort Collins, CO. The position is under the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Project which studies the ecology of CWD and the species it affects, and develops techniques and strategies to reduce the transmission, prevalence, and persistence of CWD in wild cervids.

Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to: Collect and perform biochemical assessment of biologic and environmental samples. Plan and implement studies. Gather and analyze data; using sophisticated techniques, technologies, and equipment; organizing research data and performing statistical analyses of data sets. Perform a variety of veterinary/biologist technical procedures on wildlife and laboratory animals, including animal restraint and marking. Comply with Good Laboratory Practices, Animal Welfare Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and applicable state and federal wildlife laws and regulations. Operate government-owned or leased vehicles. Prepare brief technical reports describing study progress and contribute to technical publications describing experimental procedures and results.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• 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 one-year trial period.
• Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
• Occasional holiday and weekend shifts may be required.

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 REQUIREMENT: 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 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement you will also need to meet the following: FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Worked with chronic wasting disease or other prions in a laboratory setting. Independently performed, optimized, and troubleshot biochemical and molecular assays such as RT-QuIC, PMCA, Western blot, ELISA, IHC, bioassays, PCR, Sanger and next generation sequencing. Designed, planned, and implemented research studies in a Bio-Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory. Interpreted laboratory assay results; organized, analyzed, and presented data; and prepared technical reports and manuscripts for publication. Communicated scientific progress and results, orally or in writing, to diverse stakeholders including State, Federal, university, NGO, and industry partners in the form of peer reviewed journal articles, research papers, professional presentations, or public outreach. OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a major directly related to the position. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA APHIS MRPBS 250 Marquette Avenue, Suite 410 Minneapolis, MN 55401 US
• Name: MRP Human Resources
• Phone: 612-336-3227
• Email: [email protected]