USDA Research Entomologist (Agricultural Research Service)
OPENING DATE: 12/5/2016
CLOSING DATE: 12/23/2016
DEPARTMENT: Agricultural Research Service
JOB TYPE: Full-time
SALARY: $71,112 – $92,445 / Per Year
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Find Solutions to Agricultural Problems that Affect Americans Every Day, From Field to Table.
This position is with the Southwest Watershed Research Center (SWRC) located in Tucson, Arizona whose mission is to develop knowledge and technology to conserve soil and water in semi-arid lands. The incumbent would serve as a Research Hydrologist performing duties stated below.
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.
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.
Major Duties: As a Research Entomologist the incumbent will perform the following:
- Participates in a research program investigating the nutritional value of pollen and nectar to honey bees, and identifying factors that may influence this;
- Conducts research to determine the effects of nutrients in pollen and nectar on honey bee physiology and colony health;
- Develops recommendations on plant and soil management methods that can improve the nutritional value of pollen and nectar;
- Establishes and maintains collaborations with other scientists to conduct studies on the effects of nutrition on honey bee physiology and colony health;
- Transfers technology through scholarly publications, patents and presentations to scientific and industry groups;
- Nutritional analyses of pollen and nectar collected from plants grown under defined conditions, and determination of the effects on honey bees at the individual and colony level; and
- Identify the effects of specific nutrients on honey bee physiology, gene expression and colony growth and survival.
Occasional Travel required (incumbent will be required to travel in order to conduct research and to attend scientific meetings and conferences.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified by grade level.
Your education and experience will be evaluated against all qualification requirements (basic and any additional requirements) listed below.
Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
Basic Requirements:
Degree in entomology, or a related discipline of the biological sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology OR a combination of education and experience; courses equivalent to a major in entomology or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that include at least 16 semester hours in entomology, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Evaluation of Education: Applicants with major fields of study in biology, zoology, or invertebrate zoology may fully meet the basic educational requirements if their academic preparation included substantive instruction (including appropriate laboratory and field work) in basic general entomology, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, general and organic chemistry, general physics, and mathematics or statistics that provided some training in the analysis of variables.
Additional Requirements:
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 or possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience. Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
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 working with bioinformatics; obtaining, managing, and analyzing genomic and transcriptomic data sets; conducting studies in plant-insect interactions; nutritional analyses of pollen and physiological effects of nutrition on honey bees.
Applicants must address the specialized experience requirements in their resume (or application documents). Applications that do not reflect the specialized experience requirements will not be deemed qualified.
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.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here:
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp
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.
To be considered for a research scientist position, you must submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Also, 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.
To apply visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/458085200/