This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plains Area (PA), at the Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center in College Station, TX. In this position, you will help to develop cost-effective methods for controlling foodborne pathogens associated with poultry and livestock.

Duties

Develop cost-effective methods for controlling foodborne pathogens associated with poultry and livestock. Provide new information necessary to rationally design strategies to increase resistance against foodborne pathogen colonization in food producing animals. Enhance the safety of food supplies derived from commercially reared animals. Generate critical transcriptomic and kinomic data on host-pathogen interactions of Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens. Elucidate effective immunometabolic molecular targets for intervention in the host-pathogen network that can be exploited by commercially viable intervention strategies, techniques, and technologies. Characterize and define in-feed/water interventions to ameliorate foodborne infections. Determine molecular immunometabolic biomarkers of foodborne pathogen colonization in host animals and virulence factors in foodborne pathogens to aid in detection and intervention efforts.

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 Biology 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 in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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: designing and conducting research on food animals and their interactions with foodborne pathogens; evaluating and interpreting proteomic or kinomic research results; and preparing reports of research results in the form of manuscripts for publication in peer reviewed journals or presentations at scientific meetings. 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: planning, conducting, and reporting research on food animals and their interactions with foodborne pathogens; conducting and reporting individual or team research on proteomics and kinomics; utilizing molecular techniques; and publishing independent research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 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: planning, conducting, and leading a collaborative team research program related to host-foodborne pathogen interactions and mitigation; utilizing molecular methods and analyses to elucidate metabolic and immunological processes; and publishing independent research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 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: managing and leading a collaborative research team on activities related to host-pathogen interactions relevant to foodborne pathogens and food animals and bioinformatic signal transduction analysis at the transcriptomic, proteomic, and kinomic-levels; utilizing and modifying complex molecular methods and analyses to elucidate metabolic and immunologic processes; interacting with the scientific community and other stakeholder groups for technology transfer of research findings relative to pre-harvest food safety detection and intervention; and publishing independent research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 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

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: Juliana Hensley
• Phone: (571) 669-3483
• Email: [email protected]