Job opening: Biological Science Technician
Salary: $44 001 - 57 198 per year
Published at: Aug 20 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
The position is located at the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), Fort Collins, CO. The incumbent will serve under the NWRC -Wildlife Genetics Project. This Unit is responsible for applying genetic tools and methods to wildlife damage management and wildlife disease. The coordinating of the employee's activities will be the responsibility of the Project Leader. The incumbent will aid in wildlife studies by conducting genetic laboratory procedures, producing data, and reporting results.
Duties
The duties may include, but are not limited to:
Perform routine laboratory maintenance. Maintain laboratory spaces in a clean and orderly fashion.
Clean and prepare laboratory spaces in a non-invasive/low-quality DNA laboratory Perform daily and weekly maintenance protocols on laboratory equipment.
Provide routine laboratory and field support as needed to ensure success of wildlife research protocols.
Set-up and maintain laboratory-specific equipment. Make reagents. Record relevant information on data sheets. Extract DNA from various templates (tissue, fecal, swabs etc.).
Conduct Polymerase Chain Reactions. Assist in laboratory assays with minimal supervision. Assist with shipping and receiving of samples.
Provide administrative assistance.
Data entry and proofreading. Assist with purchase requests for laboratory supplies. Maintain an up-to-date inventory of supplies and equipment.
Maintain sample tracking software. Provide sample tracking support (e.g. barcodes).
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 Trial 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/
- All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
- Laboratory demands may include occasional lifting of 20-40lb supplies or equipment, and repetitive physical actions to perform laboratory assays and prepare reagents.
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.
FOR THE GS-05 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
Tracking wildlife samples from receipt, through testing, to reporting using database software. Experience with database management is desirable.
Must have performed specialized technical laboratory procedures, including DNA extractions from environmental DNA samples. PCR and qPCR for analysis of environmental samples is required as well as basic analysis of data generated from these processes. Next-generation sequencing library preparation of wildlife samples also qualifies and is desirable but not required experience.
Must have experience identifying, analyzing, and troubleshooting problems (optimizing, developing new assay) encountered with qPCR.
Using mapping software to document wildlife samples collected and results from laboratory analysis.
Experience with basic R coding capabilities and experience applying to population genetic analyses is desired.
OR
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. The successful completion of a full course of study of at least 12 months in a school for clinical laboratory technicians may be substituted for the 1 year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level for positions involving microbiology and biochemistry technician work.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience for the GS-5 Grade Level: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education in the fields of biology, chemistry, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
You are qualifying for the position based on education.
You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-05 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]
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