This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service, Plains Area, Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center, Livestock, Forage, and Pasture Management Research Unit in El Reno, OK. In this position, you will be responsible for providing animal science and forage systems leadership while ensuring that the Unit's research is integrated into the national strategies related to grazing-lands for livestock production and grass, forage, and rangeland agroecosystems.

Duties

Direct a broad, multi-disciplinary research program that addresses highly complex, nationally-relevant problems in Southern Great Plains grazing land social-ecological systems. Conduct research on projects enhancing decision-making of land managers using adaptive management to improve resiliency and reduce risk in a changing climate for the sustainable provision of ecosystem goods and services. Provide animal science and forage systems leadership to the Unit with the responsibility to develop long-term objectives co-produced with stakeholders through effective two-way communications. Determine the contributions of genetic and phenotypic variability of crops, forages, and livestock interacting with environmental variability for livestock production strategies. Quantify mechanisms of crop-forage-livestock interactions that result in enhanced production efficiency, energy transfer, and reduced emissions for ruminant livestock for farm/ranch level operations. Provide land managers with information and decision tools needed to maintain profitability and environmental sustainability, and reduce risk to livestock operations in a changing climate.

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.
• 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 a three year probationary period.

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 Requirements for Animal Science Series, 0487: Degree: animal science, dairy science, poultry science; or a related discipline or field of animal science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic biological and agricultural sciences, and 20 semester hours in animal science. For animal scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in courses dealing with the breeding, feeding, production, and management of livestock, and the care and preparation of their products For dairy scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in dairy science. For poultry scientist positions, at least 10 of the required 20 semester hours in animal science must have been in poultry science. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in the basic biological and agricultural sciences, including a minimum of 20 semester hours in appropriate animal science subjects, as described in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Most universities offering appropriate programs confer degrees in "animal science" rather than in "animal husbandry," although some universities still confer degrees in "animal husbandry." Therefore, reference to course work in respective animal, dairy, or poultry husbandry, where applicable, may be considered synonymous with corresponding course work in animal, dairy, or poultry science. Additional Requirements In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below. GS-12: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are: Experience conducting research related to ruminate nutrition for grazing animals; analyzing experimental data and communicating research results through technical publications or scientific presentations; and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders. GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 level of this position are: Experience conducting research related to ruminate nutrition for grazing animals with a focus on greenhouse gas emissions; evaluating and interpreting research results; publishing research findings to peer-reviewed scientific journals; and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in order to obtain funding and communicate research findings. GS-14: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: Experience planning, conducting, and leading collaborative team research program related to ruminate nutrition for grazing animals with a focus on greenhouse gas emissions; evaluating and interpreting research results; publishing research findings to peer-reviewed scientific journals; utilizing automated head chamber systems to measure enteric methane emissions; and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in order to obtain funding and communicate research findings. GS-15: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-15 level of this position are: Experience managing a collaborative team research program focused on grazing land social-ecological systems; publishing independent research findings to peer-reviewed scientific journals; and interacting with producers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholder groups; developing new technologies and management strategies to be adopted by stakeholders; and applying for extramural funding to further project objectives. 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. To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications. Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Graduate Education: To be qualifying, graduate study must have been in animal, dairy, or poultry science; or in a specialized subject-matter area of science directly related to these sciences, such as feeds and feeding or nutrition, breeding, and development, physiology, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on one of the recognized specialized subject-matter areas of animal, dairy, or poultry science.

Graduate study in related disciplines or fields of science, such as agronomy, microbiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and dairy, food, or fiber technology (if it dealt with pertinent products or their production) may also be qualifying, provided the graduate work placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on one of the recognized fields or subject-matter areas of animal, dairy, or poultry science.

Evaluation of Education: Course work in such subjects as agronomy, animal, dairy, or poultry science, biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, physiology, genetics, and biochemistry may be used to meet the general 30-semester-hour requirement in the basic biological and agricultural sciences.

Course work in such subjects as zoology, embryology, animal breeding or genetics, physiology, biochemistry, and any phase of animal, dairy, or poultry science may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in animal science.

Course work in animal science includes those subjects dealing with the specific kinds and classes of livestock, e.g., cattle, swine, sheep, or fur bearers, their breeding and development, nutrition, management, and utilization; and the qualities and uses of their products, e.g., meat, wool, or leather. Course work in dairy science includes those subjects dealing with the specific kinds and classes of dairy animals; their nutrition and management; the utilization of their products; and courses dealing with the establishment of lineages, various phases of a dairy operation, milk quality, etc.

Course work in poultry science includes those subjects dealing with the kinds and classes of poultry; their breeding and development; the establishment of specific strains; their nutrition and management; the utilization of their products; and courses dealing with specific areas peculiar to poultry science, such as genetic or environmental factors, or rearrangement of cycles.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 2150 Centre Avenue Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526 US
• Name: Sydney Teague
• Phone: 703-259-9455
• Email: [email protected]