This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/499690400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
This position is located in the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU) at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in Orient Point, New York. FADRU's mission is to develop scientific knowledge leading to prevention and control measures against foreign animal diseases: Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF) and Vesicular Stomatitis (VS).
This is a term, time-limited appointment with an initial duration no less than 13 months and can be extended up to a total of 4 years.
Learn more about this agency05/16/2018 to 05/30/2018
$84,035 - $109,245 per year
GS 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
Not required
No
Term
Full-Time
12
0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences
No
ARS-S18E-0063
499690400
Major Duties may include, but are not limited to:
The incumbent serves as a Research Molecular Biologist in the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU) at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC). Is responsible for carrying out basic and applied research and the development of vaccines, including bench-top-scale vaccine production, generation of master seeds and downstream processing and formulation of vaccines against foreign animal diseases, primarily foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever virus. Responsible for quality assurance control of vaccines. Research objectives include: virus cultivation, master seed production, detailing molecular mechanisms of viral infection and inactivation.
Special Working Conditions:
Due to potential exposure to zoonotic agents and recommendations of CDC and OSHA some individuals must also be vaccinated for rabies or demonstrate a protective titer and also be currently vaccinated for tetanus and human influenza (may not apply depending on the duties of the position).
A baseline blood sample may be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facilities (may not apply depending on the duties of the position). For the health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of disease, immunization against diseases being studied at PIADC which are transmissible to humans may be required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness under the provision of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended 21 USC 321-392. Where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for investigational purposes, the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary.
The work is performed in a biological containment laboratory operating under rigid Agency Safety Rules and Regulations (for example, requiring at least one daily hygienic shower.) Risks involve working with or being exposed to radioactive material, possible contagious diseases, chemicals, and possible burns from autoclaves and sterilizers, and possible injury working with and around laboratory equipment.
Required to travel daily to and from Orient Point, New York or Old Saybrook, CT and Plum Island aboard Government-provided marine vessels.
• Subject to satisfactory completion of a one year trial period
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:
GS-0401: Degree in biological sciences, agricultural, 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:
GS-12: Applicants must possess a PhD. or equivalent doctoral degree OR demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. 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 directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are:
- Experience performing molecular cloning of foreign animal disease viruses.
- Experience in vaccine production for foreign animal diseases including: infectious clone manipulation, derivation of vaccine strains with antigenic properties and immunological profiling.
- Experience in sequencing and sequence analysis; both Sanger and Next Generation sequencing techniques.
- Experience in identification of virulence factors(s) for use in novel vaccGSine development.
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
More than one selection may be made if another vacancy occurs within 90 days of the issuance of the certification of eligibles.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Direct Deposit – Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
E-Verify: Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form 1-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS E-VERIFY system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. See more information at: http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=6465
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Vaccinology - The development and production of new vaccines.
Research - Knowledge of the scientific principles, methods and processes used to conduct a systematic and objective inquiry including study, design, collection and analysis and interpretation of data; and the reporting of results.
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
• Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisors phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit http://www.naces.org/members.htm. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• If claiming veterans preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veterans preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veterans preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
• If claiming 10-point veterans preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/499690400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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