This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service, Plains Area, National Bio- and Agro- Defense Facility (NBAF), in Manhattan, KS. In this position, you will serve as a Research Scientist Veterinary Medical Officer (Pathologist) and will conduct basic and applied research on the mechanisms and characterize immune responses against viral pathogens such as Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and Nipah virus.

Duties

Provide leadership in selecting the research path for studies on susceptible species including swine, cattle, and other animal models. Serve as Authorized Departmental Officer's Designated Representative (ADODR) for Specific Cooperative Agreements with collaborating research institutes and as team leader of assigned projects within the research project. Identify and propose productive research areas, perform independent research, and collaborate with scientists from within the ARS and from academia and private industry to best achieve the research objectives. Provide unique leadership and research skills to contribute to the identification, description, and characterization of the effects of zoonotic pathogens in livestock. Develop molecular, clinical, and post mortem techniques to understand virus-host interactions, and to develop methods or therapies to minimize or avoid infection and disease. Organize research, establish research priorities, lead in planning research projects, supervise execution of research, evaluate and review research, lead discussions on the interpretation of results, and report and publish research progress. The incumbent is responsible for assurance that studies of this Research Unit meet the highest standards of animal welfare and address the highest priorities of the animal industry, action agencies, and other user groups.

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.
• This position requires: Pre-employment and random testing of substances of abuse;
• Participation in and adherence to the facility’s Occupational Health Program; Participation in and adherence to the facility’s Personal Reliability Program;
• The ability to obtain/maintain a Security clearance; The ability to obtain/maintain Select Agent clearance. SAC and full background investigation required for positions working in BSL- 3 (or higher) agents, or in BSL-3/BSL-4 Facilities.
• This is a Public Trust Position and requires that the incumbent be a United States Citizen.
• The incumbent must be registered and accepted into the Select Agent and Toxin program mandated by the Center for Disease Control/United States Department of Agriculture as appropriate to the position’s assignments.
• As a condition of employment, a security background investigation will be conducted and the requirements listed above must be met.
• A baseline blood sample may be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facilities.
• For the health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of disease, immunization against diseases being studied at NBAF which are transmissible to humans may be required where the vaccine has been approved by the FDA.
• Where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for investigational purposes, the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary.
• The incumbent must also pass periodic fitness for duty physicals. In addition, a medical clearance will be required in the event that it becomes necessary to enter an area where an air purifying respirator or other respiratory protection is required.
• Due to the contagious nature to livestock of Foot-and-Mouth disease, and other diseases under study at NBAF, biosafety protocols specify a personal quarantine for employees working on specific infectious agents in designated areas of NBAF.
• As a condition for employment, all personnel entering these areas at NBAF shall not be in contact with specific susceptible animals and their premises away from NBAF for a period of five (5) days after leaving the area.
• Currently, restricted species are cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, and swine.
• Contact with horses, birds (agricultural and pet birds) and rabbits are normally permitted, but restrictions may be placed on staff working with or near infectious agents affecting these species.

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. Additional Requirements In addition to meeting the basic requirements described in the education section below, 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. 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: Experience conducting research related to infectious animal diseases; analyzing experimental data and publishing research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals; and presenting research findings at professional meetings. OR Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Master's degree in an area of specialization listed below in the Education section. OR Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs - Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. 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: Experience planning and conducting research focused on infectious animal diseases; analyzing experimental data and publishing research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals; developing animal models; presenting research at local and national scientific meetings; and developing and executing analytical techniques used to detect animal disease pathogens. OR Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Ph.D. degree in an in an area of specialization listed below in the Education section. OR Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs - Successful completion of three years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position. OR Board Certification - Specialty boards that are recognized by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) certify eligible candidates as specialists in specific veterinary medical fields. Veterinarians who successfully complete all requirements for Diplomate status in an ABVS-recognized veterinary specialty organization may qualify for the GS-13 grade level. 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: Experience planning, conducting, and leading research focused on infectious animal disease; analyzing experimental data and publishing research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals; developing new analytical techniques to study virus-vector-host interactions of foreign animal disease pathogens; presenting research results at national and international scientific meetings; managing funds on research grants; and ensuring the development of well-trained scientific and technical staff. 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: Experience developing and leading an interdisciplinary, collaborative research program focused on the prevention and control of foreign animal diseases in livestock animals; publishing research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals; presenting research results at national and international scientific meetings; developing new analytical techniques to study virus-vector-host interactions of foreign animal disease pathogens; managing funds on research grants; and developing collaborative relationships with government officials, scientific organizations, and internal and external industry stakeholders to coordinate research efforts and validate research results. Other Significant Factors This position is required to work in a biosafety level 3/4Ag environment where high threat livestock biologic agents can be transmitted by aerosol. The incumbent must demonstrate the physical and psychological capability to conduct normal duties that are appropriate to their position. To prevent the transmission of disease out of biocontainment and retention of the position, the incumbent must meet the following medical standards in a pre-employment medical examination conducted after the receipt of a preliminary job offer and on a periodic basis: Ability to shower out of biocontainment one or more times per day and: Not have any skin condition which would prevent this; Body piercings must be able to be removed prior to entry; External medical assist devices must have the ability to be removed prior to entering biocontainment, and the individual must still be able to shower out safely without assistance. Ability to follow instructions regarding decontamination from biocontainment. Any medical condition which could create an unsafe environment for the individual or his/her co-workers, such as: Insufficient control of a medical disorder which could result in sudden loss of consciousness; Inadequate vision and hearing required for safety in a laboratory environment. The work is performed in a biological containment laboratory operating under rigid Agency Safety Rules and Regulations (for example, requiring at least one daily hygienic shower.) Risks involve working with or being exposed to radioactive material, possible contagious diseases, chemicals, and possible burns from autoclaves and sterilizers, and possible injury working with and around laboratory equipment. Restricted livestock or other restricted animals may not be housed on the premises where the employee lives and where the quarantine cannot be enforced. Employees who violate this requirement may be removed from employment or subject to other disciplinary actions. 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

Basic Requirements for Veterinary Medicine Series, 0701
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org, has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools.OR2. Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements:

• Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG)
• Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the US that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT).
• Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the AVMA Council on Education. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g. residency or graduate program).

Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE;
• Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR
• Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.

Education Substitution GS-12/13: In order to qualify at the GS-12/13 grade level on the basis of education for the 0701 series, applicants must complete a relevant graduate study or a dual DVM/graduate degree as described above at an accredited college or school, in addition to completing the DVM or an equivalent degree.

Education Substitution: Successful completion of a graduate degree in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 2150 Centre Avenue Building D, Suite 300 Fort Collins, CO 80526 US
• Name: Sydney Teague
• Phone: 703-259-9455
• Email: [email protected]