This position is located within the Diet, Genomics, and Immunology Laboratory (DGIL) for USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Beltsville, MD. In this position, you will participate in research studying the role of foods on promoting animal health.

Duties

Performs experiments for collection of biological specimens from pigs to be analyzed to provide answers for specific research problem areas. Prepares and maintains tissue culture collection and performs purification assays. Selects the appropriate methods and procedures and/or devises and recommends alternative methods of standardized analysis to solve problems. Records and calculates results, tabulates data, and performs elementary statistical calculations of means, standard deviations, standard errors, and coefficient of variations. Assists in the preparation of scientific reports and manuscripts by reporting findings from experiments conducted. Performs dietary interventions by feeding animals and inspecting impact on their physical health. Maintains cleanliness and general housekeeping in the laboratory including maintenance of supplies and materials. Maintains equipment and instrumentation in top working condition, performing routine preventative maintenance and minor repairs, and promptly reporting signs of malfunction or need for major repairs.

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. In addition to the basic requirements listed in the Education section of the announcement, all applicants must also meet the following minimum qualification requirements 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-05 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 performing basic aseptic and sterile techniques; collecting or evaluating biological samples; and keeping detailed records of experimental data. OR Education: Successful completion of one year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Microbiology, Physiology, Anatomy, Biology, Animal Science or Molecular Biology. OR SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (SAA): Completion of a bachelor's degree, with Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.). Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, as described above. S.A.A. is based on (1) A grade point average of B (a GPA of 3.0 or higher) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last 2 full years of undergraduate study; OR (2) A grade point average of B (a GPA of 3.5 or higher) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; OR (3) Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision; OR (4) Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. OR A combination of education and specialized 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-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 performing a range of experiments related to microbiology research; collecting and evaluating biological samples and supporting records; performing routine and recurring techniques using a variety of specialized equipment; and preparing reports summarizing progress or results of research. OR Education: Successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Microbiology, Physiology, Anatomy, Biology, Animal Science or Molecular Biology. OR A combination of education and specialized experience as described above. GS-11 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-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 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 coordinating a research project related to microbiology studies; collecting, preparing, and evaluating biological testing data and supporting records; operating, maintaining, calibrating, or modifying specialized equipment; and analyzing and summarizing research results for preparation in scientific reports or manuscripts. OR Education: Successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Microbiology, Physiology, Anatomy, Biology, Animal Science or Molecular Biology. OR A combination of education and specialized experience as described above. Physical Demands The work sometimes requires standing for prolonged periods of time. Work Environment Work is performed primarily in a laboratory. Incumbent is exposed to irritant chemicals on an irregular basis; on such occasions, special safety precautions are required and the microbiologist uses protective clothing and gear such as laboratory coat, safety glasses and gloves. 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

Basic Requirements for Microbiology Series 0403
Degree: microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent.
OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Graduate Education: Microbiology, or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology; or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food tech-nology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work.

Evaluation of Education: Microbiology is a broad field of science encompassing a number of scientific disciplines or areas of science, the fields in which this science is applied, and related fields where the work is concerned with or involves microbiology. The scientific disciplines or areas of this science include bacteriology, immunology, serology, algology, mycology, parasitology, protozoology, rickettsi-ology, tissue culture, virology, and similar disciplines or areas of science. The applied fields include environmental, food, dairy, soil, industrial, public health, clinical, and agricultural microbiology, and similar areas in which microbiology is applied. Related fields include taxonomy and systematics, plant, animal, or human physiology or pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, ecology, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related or applies to microbiology. Except where the course work deals with a limited and specific segment of the science, where it might be limited in usefulness, most of the work, including that dealing with the development and use of microbiological methods, procedures, and techniques, is qualifying. In interpreting the substantive value of the course work, credit may be given for courses in related fields, depending on the degree to which the courses are related to micro-biological work.

Evaluation of Experience: For positions at GS-9 that involve a substantial amount of work in a specific specialized area or applied field of microbiology, at least 6 months of the experience must either have been in the appropriate area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered. For the GS-11 and higher grade levels of such specialized positions, the experience must have been sufficiently specialized to insure adequate familiarity with the area of specialization or applied field of microbiology, or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Robert Green
• Phone: (703) 259-9392
• Email: robert.green2@usda.gov