The incumbent serves as the Director, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE). NLAE's mission is to generate information that addresses critical problems in agriculture and natural resource management leading to the development of innovative solutions that increase the efficiency of agricultural systems, reduce environmental risk, and enhance ecosystem services.
Summary
The incumbent serves as the Director, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE). NLAE's mission is to generate information that addresses critical problems in agriculture and natural resource management leading to the development of innovative solutions that increase the efficiency of agricultural systems, reduce environmental risk, and enhance ecosystem services.
Interfaces with the Midwest Area Director, the Office of National Programs, and other management officials in planning, coordinating, and evaluating sustainable agricultural system research programs.
Provides research leadership to trans-disciplinary research teams. and is responsible for:
Formulating and guiding a broad scale, multi-faceted attack on problems in frontier areas of critical importance to national and international sustainable agricultural production;
Maintaining and enhancing the creativity and productivity of the NLAE's research programs and directs program planning; organizes and implements program activities;
Coordinating activities of research partners and interests of customers and stakeholders and acts as liaison with other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations;
Providing technical information and consultation, both internal and external to ARS; ensures proper interpretation and reporting of scientific research results and information; and
Managing the human, fiscal, and physical resources of the NLAE.
You must:
- Have conducted and published outstanding research in the fields of plant, soil, or atmospheric sciences or and engineering as related to integrated farming systems, sustainable soil management, agricultural practices, and ecological principles as determined by a Qualifications Assessment Board;
- Have earned a doctoral level degree at an institution of higher education [as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)];
- Have national or international recognition as an authority and provide leadership in an area of widespread scientific interest and investigation; and
- Meet the qualification standards prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management for appointment to a position at the GS-15 level of the General Schedule.
Education
Degree: A doctoral level degree in one of the following fields: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, forestry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in degrees above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR RESPONSE TO THE FIVE CRITERION QUESTIONS. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Evaluation Method: Applicants must meet the qualification requirements as outlined above to be eligible for further consideration, and must submit written statements in response to SSTS criteria listed below (also referred to as the SSTS Professional Recognition Documentation) detailing evidence of the experience, knowledge, skill, ability, and other personal characteristic requirements and show how and when they were used. This evidence must include clear, concise examples that show level of accomplishments and degree of responsibility. Qualification determinations will be based on the information supplied by the applicant.
Senior Science Research Service Professional Recognition Documentation Form
Name of Applicant: ___________________________________ Date: _________________
Criterion 1: List and describe personal honors and awards received from major national or international organizations for accomplishments; publications in prestigious journals (e.g.; Science, Nature, PNAS); and significant impacts on agricultural science, environmental quality and natural resource management through basic and/or applied research, and related technology transfer.
Criterion 2: List recent instances in which you have been sought out as an advisor and consultant on scientific and technological programs or problems, reflecting either personal accomplishments or research leadership of the programs you oversee.
Criterion 3: List evidence of how your personal stature and recognition, and/or scientific leadership, has attracted visiting scientist, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and applications for scientific positions in the programs you oversee.
Criterion 4: Describe how your research and/or leadership accomplishments have impacted water quality and soil management/quality and then air quality and climate change research programs, policy, practices, or funding in the public or private sectors.
Criterion 5: Provides examples where your ability to lead people and manage financial and information resources (technology and data) have contributed to the impact of your scientific and/or technological accomplishments.
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.
1. A resume should be provided. It should include relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties and salary), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry.
2. For current or previous Federal employees, please attach a copy of your most recent SF-50 or agency notification of personnel action form that provides current position, grade level, and duty location.3. Please provide a copy of your College transcript(s) which support those qualifications for which you wish to have considered. Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:
Education (if applicable): A copy of your transcript(s) or a separate course listing showing the course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade (if applicable). If you have completed any part of your education outside of the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received
Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including:
Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
Duties and accomplishments
Employers name and address
Supervisors name and phone number
Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
Salary
Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor
Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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 the instructions before you begin. Failure to submit the required documentation by 11:59 pm EST of the closing date will result in loss of consideration. The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon 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 us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).Candidates who do not submit complete application packages as indicated in this announcement will not be considered. Please be sure to remove all PII (e.g. SSN, DOB, etc.) from all documentation. Spell out Acronyms the first time used. Applicants who cannot apply on-line may mail their applications (must be postmarked prior to the close date) or fax your application before the close date to the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement.
Agricultural Research Service
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705
US
Next steps
Applicants who meet the SSTS criteria above will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the 'best qualified' will be conducted by a panel of experts and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory requirements as described in the announcement. Interviews and qualifications inquiries may be required.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
1. A resume should be provided. It should include relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties and salary), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry.
2. For current or previous Federal employees, please attach a copy of your most recent SF-50 or agency notification of personnel action form that provides current position, grade level, and duty location.3. Please provide a copy of your College transcript(s) which support those qualifications for which you wish to have considered. Your resume should contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. It is recommended that you include the following information:
Education (if applicable): A copy of your transcript(s) or a separate course listing showing the course title, department, hours earned (quarter or semester), and grade (if applicable). If you have completed any part of your education outside of the U.S., you must submit the evaluation of your foreign education that has been prepared by an accredited organization. The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) can provide a list of who can evaluate your foreign education. For additional information, visit DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers
Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received
Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including:
Job title (include series and grade if Federal job)
Duties and accomplishments
Employers name and address
Supervisors name and phone number
Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year)
Salary
Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor
Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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 the instructions before you begin. Failure to submit the required documentation by 11:59 pm EST of the closing date will result in loss of consideration. The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon 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 us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application" to continue.
NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).Candidates who do not submit complete application packages as indicated in this announcement will not be considered. Please be sure to remove all PII (e.g. SSN, DOB, etc.) from all documentation. Spell out Acronyms the first time used. Applicants who cannot apply on-line may mail their applications (must be postmarked prior to the close date) or fax your application before the close date to the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement.
Agricultural Research Service
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705
US
Next steps
Applicants who meet the SSTS criteria above will be considered qualified for this position. Rating and ranking to determine the 'best qualified' will be conducted by a panel of experts and will be based upon consideration of the degree to which applicants meet the mandatory requirements as described in the announcement. Interviews and qualifications inquiries may be required.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
