This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, KS. In this position, you will actively participate in one or more phases of the research process related to animals and insects by performing a variety of technical duties in a laboratory environment.

Duties

Process and prepare samples and record data from animals and insects. Maintain, calibrate, and modify specialized equipment and automated systems used for test and evaluation procedures. Enter and organize scientific data in computer software such as Excel. Contribute to the planning of various steps in an experiment or project.

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-07: 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-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 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 experience preparing or analyzing biological samples; operating common laboratory equipment used for test or evaluation procedures; and keeping detailed records of experimental data. OR Education: Successful completion of one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Molecular Biology, Biology, Virology, or Microbiology. OR A combination of graduate level education and experience as described above. 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 experience participating in a research project related to animals or insects; analyzing and summarizing data using software packages; maintaining inventory of laboratory equipment or supplies. OR Education: 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 Molecular Biology, Biology, Virology, or Microbiology. 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 perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience conducting an experiment involving cell culturing; maintaining specialized scientific equipment and automated systems used for test and evaluation procedures; and preparing reagents or solutions for use in a high containment laboratory setting. OR Education: 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 Molecular Biology, Biology, Virology, or Microbiology. OR A combination of graduate level education and experience as described above. Working Conditions: 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. 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. 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 2150 Centre Avenue Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526 US
• Name: Kayleigh Pfeiffer
• Phone: 703-995-9645
• Email: [email protected]