This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/501744900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Western Regional Research Center, Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit in Albany, California is seeking a permanent, full-time Research Molecular Biologist to lead and participate in team research related to the biocontrol of foodborne pathogens. The overall mission is to develop methods for reducing or eliminating mycotoxins as contaminants of agricultural commodities. Additionally, the effort also focuses on the discovery of new compounds that can serve as antifungal agents or can be used to enhance already commercially available antifungal agents (chemosensitizing agents).
Vacant research positions may be filled at one of several grade levels depending upon the scientific impact of the person selected. For this reason, you are encouraged to apply at all grade levels. A peer review will be required for selections made at grades GS-13 and above and the selectee will be required to submit supplemental materials.
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.
06/08/2018 to 06/18/2018
$88,582 - $136,936 per year
GS 12 - 13
1 vacancy in the following location:
Occasional travel - Domestic travel may be required to attend training and scientific meetings and conferences. Local travel to field sites may also be required.
Yes—Relocation expenses may be authorized and will be determined at time of offer.
Permanent
Full-Time
15
0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences
No
ARS-D18W-0082
501744900
The incumbent’s overall research objective is to identify compounds that can be used to prevent or reduce mycotoxin contamination in agricultural commodities.
Specific personal research objectives and methodologies may include:
• Developing methods to identify safe, natural compounds that can be used to prevent mycotoxin biosynthesis, as direct antifungal agents or as chemosensitizing agents to augment efficacy of antifungal agents.
• Testing the mode of action of newly discovered antifungal agents, such as whether new compounds target the oxidative stress response systems, mitochondrial respiration, osmotic-stress response, cell wall integrity, and substrate efflux mechanisms in fungi.
• Developing phenotype-based assays with deletion mutants of yeast and of target fungi to determine bioactivity of tests substances.
• Using high throughput and target based screening to identify natural compounds affecting biosynthesis or catabolism of mycotoxins.
• Developing high throughput bioassays to identify genetic vulnerabilities in stress response and cell wall integrity systems of fungi using deletion mutants of a yeast model system.
• Developing chemosensitization strategies for natural products in combination among themselves or with commercial natural products.
• Collaborating with other scientists and staff within the Unit to establish what fungi (or other microorganisms), mycotoxins, and natural products would be most important to incorporate into the research endeavor.
U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
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.
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: 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 in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related discipline appropriate to the position, 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 have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree directly related to the duties of the position (i.e. molecular biology, microbiology, cell and developmental biology, biochemistry, and related agricultural sciences) OR 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal Service conducting research related to fungal pathogens; using molecular and cell biology tools to manipulate model yeast or fungal pathogens to study the mechanism of fungal inhibition and identify targets for fungal pathogen inhibition; and publishing research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals related to fungal biology or enhancing crop production OR a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience.
GS-13: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal Service conceiving and conducting research related to fungal pathogens; developing high throughput compound screens for inhibitors of fungal pathogens; performing pathogen and mycotoxin production mitigation methods, either through inhibitor identification or processing methods; and publishing research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals related to fungal biology or enhancing crop production.
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
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
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.
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/501744900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Find Solutions to Agricultural Problems that Affect Americans Every Day, From Field to Table.
USDA is a great place to start or continue your career. USDA is ranked as one of the top 10 "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" by the Partnership for Public Service (http://bestplacestowork.org/BPTW/rankings/overall/large). Rankings are based on employee feedback regarding satisfaction with their work experience.