This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Plant Introduction Research in Ames, IA. In this position, you will be responsible for serving as part of a research team conducting plant research in a field, greenhouse and laboratory setting.

Duties

Maintain records and locate and compile data and other information from various sources. Tabulate and summarize laboratory data using laboratory notebooks, personal computers, or software packages. Perform a full range of techniques and studies using a variety of specialized equipment. Adapt, modify, or develop new techniques or procedures to satisfy the needs of the research project. Grow plants from seed or transplants, process plant samples for research, and collect soil samples.

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 perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is participating in one or more phases of a plant breeding research process; planting and harvesting samples of plants; and operating and maintaining specialized field equipment. OR Education: Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related courses include agronomy, soil science, crop science, agriculture, horticulture, genetics, plant breeding, plant physiology. OR A combination of graduate level education and experience as described above. Physical Demands The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking or bending. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a work day) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In other situations, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination. Work Environment The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working with contagious diseases or irritant chemicals or working outdoors. The employee is required to use protective clothing such as gowns, coats, boots, goggles, gloves. 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 5601 Sunnyside Ave Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Chirag Patel
• Phone: 5716693542
• Email: [email protected]