Summary

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

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• Develop cost-effective methods for controlling foodborne pathogens associated with poultry and livestock.
• Identify and apply genetic, proteomic, and kinomic research approaches that are most likely to provide new information and products that will reduce Salmonella, Campylobacter, HPAI, and other foodborne pathogens;
• From colonization in poultry, swine, and beef/dairy cattle in order to decrease the risk of foodborne illness.
• 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.
• Operation in high-containment environments, specifically BSL-3 facilities, for HPAI-related studies.
• Generate data for national food safety initiatives, especially regarding HPAI detection and survivability in meat and other food products.
• Elucidate effective immunometabolic molecular targets for intervention in the host-pathogen network that can be exploited by commercially viable intervention strategies, techniques, and technologies.
• Determine molecular immunometabolic biomarkers of foodborne pathogen colonization in host animals and virulence factors in foodborne pathogens to aid in detection and intervention efforts.
• Leading virus detection, viability assays, virus dissemination animal trials, meat product safety analysis, and virus survivability studies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• 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.
• SAC and full background investigation required for positions working with BSL-3 or (higher agents) or BSL-3/BSL-4 facilities.

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 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. 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: 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; advanced cell culture methods, and preparing reports of research results for review of peers and scientific communities.

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Related degrees may include Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Animal Science, Food Science, Genetics, Biological Science, and Biochemistry.

OR

Combination of graduate level education and experience as described above.

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: designing and conducting research on food animals and their interactions with foodborne pathogens; evaluating and interpreting proteomic or kinomic research results; BSL-3 laboratory research; HPAI research, and preparing reports of research results for review of peers and scientific communities.

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 research program related to host-foodborne pathogen interactions and mitigation; utilizing molecular methods and analyses to elucidate metabolic and immunological processes; and preparing reports of research results for review of peers and scientific communities.

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 preparing reports of research results for review of peers and scientific communities.

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.

Additional information

• This position requires the selectee to undergo a pre-employment check and a full background investigation. Any offer made is considered a tentative job offer pending the outcome of the pre-employment check. Retention in the position is based upon a favorable adjudication of the background investigation. The incumbent will be subject to periodic reinvestigations.
• CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: Federal employees are subject to prohibitions against officially dealing with outside organizations in which they have a financial interest. If hired for this position, you may be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of the effective date of your appointment and annually thereafter.
• 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 71 out of a possible 100.
• Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.
• This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
• Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. Research accomplishments and their impact on the duties and responsibilities of positions are evaluated periodically. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. *Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.