This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. In this position, you will provide expertise in multiple imaging technologies to the microscopy facility, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and light microscopy.

Duties

Maintain equipment and instrumentation in top working condition, performing preventative maintenance and minor repairs, and promptly report signs of malfunction or need for major repairs. Perform a range of preparation techniques on animals, plants, or microbes including fixation, dehydration, embedding, ultra-thin sectioning, and antibody labeling (immuno-gold) procedures. Keep accurate, detailed, and well organized scientific records of work performed including all modification, observations, and results obtained. Instruct and oversee scientists in the use specialized instrumentation.

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. Basic Education Requirement: 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. AND In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the following minimum qualification requirements: 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 operating and maintaining specialized laboratory instrumentation including microscopes; preparing plant, animal, or microbe samples for analysis; and providing guidance to students or scientists regarding proper procedures or use of instrumentation. OR Education: Successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Biology, Plant Science, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Animal Science, or Chemistry. OR A combination of doctorate-level education and specialized experience as described above. 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: Kayleigh Pfeiffer
• Phone: 703-995-9645
• Email: Kayleigh.pfeiffer@usda.gov