This position serves as a Quality Assurance Biologist at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) within the Wildlife Services (WS) Program for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The work is primarily concerned with the development of non-lethal methods to aid in the management of wildlife including mammals, focusing on fertility control.

Duties

The duties may include, but are not limited to: Develops and maintains a comprehensive Quality Assurance (QA) Program that oversees activities and provides advice on quality assurance concerning the research projects, including those focused on pesticide development. Provides technical advice and consultative support, functional direction, instructions, training, protocols, requirements, guidelines, standards and documents to the Directors and staff of the NWRC. Actively reviews and suggests improvements to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the QA Program for overall improvement of NWRC studies. Maintains currency in knowledge of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Standards, in-house procedures, and all applicable rules and regulations via formal training, utilization of available resources. Participates with NWRC Director, Assistant Directors, and the RSSU Leader in the determination of needs and ways to accomplish short and long-range goals. Works with all involved parties to ensure that the equipment, lab safety and operational needs are met, and calibration is current. Periodically reviews aspects of study materials and conduct to include facilities, equipment, personnel, methods, practices, records, and controls. Periodically monitors studies to ensure that any deviations from approved protocols and SOPs are made with proper authorization and documentation. Audits 20% of non-GLP studies annually to monitor compliance of all applicable rules and regulations.

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.
• 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/
• 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 in a research-related quality assurance role assuring compliance with regulations, directives, policies, or applicable regulatory standards (e.g. EPA - Pesticides/GLP, FDA - GLP/GCP, AWA - OLAW, NEPA/ESA). Implemented principles, concepts and methods related to scientific research to a QA program or activity, including instances where assurance was for research where the end points vary, i.e. reporting findings, publishing, or submission for regulatory review. Applied and interpreted various laws, regulations, and other regulatory requirements/guidelines as applicable to research activities, for educating and influencing subject matter experts and/or study directors to refine study methods or procedures. Developed and evaluated quality assurance program documentation, including quality manuals, standard operating procedures, analytical methods protocols, instrument manuals, forms, databases, and spreadsheets. Proposed and lead process improvement initiatives centered on enhancing/streamlining quality control and quality assurance principles, e.g. protocol review process, post approval study audits, GLP audits, study file review, file archiving. 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]