This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northeast Area (NEA), United States National Arboretum (USNA), Public Horticulture & Engagement Unit. In this position, you will serve as the Unit Leader for the Public Horticulture & Engagement Unit and provide overall leadership, guiding development of horticultural and educational displays and exhibits that align with institutional research and outreach priorities.

Duties

Directs the development, expansion, and improvement of horticultural displays and natural areas, including the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum collections. Develops and implements policies, procedures, and plans to ensure collections, displays, and exhibits serve the broader ornamental horticultural community and constituent stakeholders. Oversees horticultural maintenance through subordinates, coordinating with the germplasm program in the Floral and Nursery Plant Research Unit (FNPRU) who provide scientific management of plant genetic resources. Directs through subordinates educational, interpretative, and engagement programs targeting local, regional, and national audiences. Oversees creation, production, and implementation of interpretative products, including signage, informative materials, and programming products, including digital formats. Oversees implementation of volunteer and internship programs, ensures proper training and coordination with stakeholders and outside support groups. On an ad hoc basis, serves as Acting Director and assists in administrative functions and approvals as a designated official.

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.
• Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• 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 for at least one of the job series below by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Basic Requirements General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401: 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. Basic Requirements Botany Series 0430: Degree: botany; or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Education: Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying. The courses required for mycologists are specific and must have been in mycology. Basic Requirements Horticulture Series 0437: Degree: horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post-harvest handling of horticultural crops. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Education: Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, and similar courses may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in basic plant sciences. The 16-semester-hour requirement in horticulture includes course work in basic horticulture and course work related to any of the recognized subject-matter fields of horticulture, i.e., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, nursery work, seed production, or course work in related areas of science, such as micro-biology, entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, or genetics that is directly related to horticultural work. AND In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the following minimum qualification requirements: 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-14 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-13 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 overseeing the production of interpretative products such as signage, informative materials, or programming products; directing the development of displays, exhibits, or museum collections; developing program objectives to meet the organization's mission; and ensuring collections adhere to collection development plans and accessioning and deaccessioning protocols. 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 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Jared Foret
• Phone: 7032599390
• Email: [email protected]