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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
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-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS Are Required If
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.
Additional information
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- 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.
- 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 one-year trial period.
- Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
- 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.
- Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) database check required for work involving Biological Select Agents and Toxins.
- Using laboratory equipment including computers in a sitting position for two consecutive hours is required.
- Work in biosafety level 3 facilities may require long periods of working in containment and up to 70% of time in a Class II or Class III biosafety cabinet.
- The physical demands may include walking, standing, bending, reaching and pushing and lifting up to 50 pounds, sometimes in personal protective equipment (PPE) that can be hot and/or heavy, restrict breathing efficiency, or impair range of vision.
- There is a high noise level due to the air exhaust system (no recirculated air) and laboratory equipment used almost continuously such as centrifuges and freezers. Protective devices such as face masks and latex/nitrile gloves are used.
- Must apply strict safety regulations to prevent the escape of pathogens from the laboratory which may include restrictions on contact with birds, sheep, goats, cattle, and swine outside of the laboratory.
- Periodically, the diagnostic workload during a disease outbreak may require considerable overtime.
- Regular duties may involve mandatory participation in rotating overtime work schedules, and import/export or other time-sensitive testing may be required in the evenings, on weekends, and holidays.
- Immunization against diseases being studied which are transmissible to humans may be required.
- Positions hired in Orient Point duty location will require daily travel to and from either Orient Point, New York and Plum Island, or Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Plum Island aboard Government-provided marine vessels.
- For information regarding the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS visit the following website by copying and pasting the address into browser: https://www.usda.gov/nbaf
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-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
- Performing techniques for culture propagation.
- Performing advanced animal handling including swabbing and inoculations, bacterial and viral identification, microscopy, immunohistochemical assays, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
- Performing in-vitro and in-vivo potency comparison tests in accordance with standard operating procedures.
- Working with computerized systems for tracking and reporting test results as part of a quality management system.
- Working with pathogens of veterinary concern such as zoonotic agents or those under surveillance.
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
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.
Additional information
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
- First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
- Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
- Positions in Ames, IA and Orient Point, NY are represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically: Ames, IA - American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2315 Orient Point, NY - American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1940 Manhattan, KS - positions are not represented.
- This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months. (Appointment may be extended up to 4 years without reannouncing). For more details click: Term Appointments
- Worksite Information: This position is located at the duty station(s) listed in this vacancy announcement and is not eligible for telework or remote work.
- Help Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.