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Geneticist (Research)

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
AVS,Office of Aerospace Medicine,Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Lab,Biomedical Sciences,AAM612
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Due to the Pandemic, and individual states with different phases of reopening, the selectee’s report date to the official duty station/facility may be delayed until such time as employees are allowed to report to the workplace. The person selected may telework up to the maximum extent possible, up to and including full time, until it is safe to relocate.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Posted 10/13/20
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes— - Fixed Rate PCS - Permanent Change of Station (U.S. Citizens) - In accordance with applicable FAA Travel regulations, a fixed relocation payment of $8,000 will be paid to new hires to Federal service, former Federal employees (reinstatements), and student trainees. A fixed relocation payment of $12,000 will be paid to current Federal employees. Relocation expenses paid are subject to applicable taxes.
Salary
$77,612 - $120,288 per year

Salary Includes locality Payment of 15.95%.

Pay scale & grade
FV I
Promotion potential
NA
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - The job may require travel from time- to-time, but not on a regular basis. The travel may be for training or other work-related duties.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
AAC-AAM-21-AAM612-69535
Control number
581449800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Also open to former permanent excepted service federal employees eligible under an interchange agreement. Current or former permanent federal employees must have met a one year probationary period or trial period in the competitive or excepted service. Applications will be accepted from preference eligibles and veterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least 3 years of continuous active duty service.

Duties

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The Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM) develops and manages medical programs in support of Aviation Safety.

Serves as a Research Geneticist for the Functional Genomics Research Team in the Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory. Performs key roles in executing multiple, varying, and complex assignments under the limited direction of a manager, project/program manager, team leader, or more experienced technical specialist. May serve multiple roles, for example, as a contributing specialist on a group effort and also as the principal investigator of one or more projects simultaneously. Responsible for designing, executing, analyzing, and reporting gene and protein expression research to identify biological markers diagnostic for pilot impairment. In accordance with FAA and laboratory guidelines, researches gene expression in biological samples including blood, fluids, or tissues biopsied from human or animal subjects, and also from civil aviation accident victims. Will interact with the FAA Institutional Review Board to properly and ethically conduct human subject research.

Applies experience and advanced technical knowledge to conduct statistical and computational analyses of research results to systematically examine the expression of all assayed nucleic acids or proteins at once. Researches and executes functional genomics analytical methods. Identifies, executes, and evaluates analytical techniques best suited to investigations where no clear guidelines exist.

Reviews relevant current research literature to enhance FAA Functional Genomics team knowledge of means to ultimately prevent or determine the cause of aircraft accidents. Periodically surveys data collected from available research and compiles them for trends, specific categories of findings, or other aspects to remain current on functional genomic factors in aircrews or passengers. Prepares reports summarizing and analyzing collected data. The incumbent reports to the Functional Genomics Research Team coordinator for guidance when needed in regards to administrative and technical policy, priority assignments, and for the approval of the end product.

Typical assignments may include: 1) In collaboration with management, Functional Genomics team members, and inside or outside collaborators; identifying, researching, executing, and reporting the results of a comparative transcriptomic experiment to identify aviation safety-relevant RNA, protein, or other biomarkers within human biological samples. 2) Developing and evaluating new instrumentation, techniques, and procedures to improve analytical processes. 3) Investigating and controlling conditions that influence the accuracy of functional genomics procedures and findings. 4) Recording data in a laboratory notebook and/or other permanent data maintenance tool. 5) Revising, updating, and modifying the laboratory procedure manual as needed to ensure the manual remains current. This is not a complete list, incumbent will perform additional tasks as assigned or agreed by management.

Contacts are internal and external, and incumbent may act as a key technical point of contact for assigned activities. Within these guidelines, the incumbent is considered a subject matter expert for all aspects of his/her work, including contacts with other personnel, activities, and long-range planning, as well as the strictly technical aspects of the work performed. The incumbent will work in compliance with all policy and procedures established by the FAA, CAMI, and the Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory.

Established policies/procedures provide guidance for most assignments, but allow considerable discretion to select the most appropriate approach or to recommend new approaches. Assignments typically require solutions that are to be derived by interpreting and extrapolating from situations that were faced in the past. Provides recommendations to improve work processes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must submit an SF50 (See Required Documents)
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • Successful completion of a security investigation will be required.
  • Please refer to Required Documents for additional information.

Qualifications

Reference OPM Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for Genetics Series, 0440 in conjunction with The Group Coverage Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions.

Basic Requirements

Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of genetics; or one of the basic biological sciences that included at least 9 semester hours in genetics.

Graduate Education: Genetics, or a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on genetics. Graduate study in related fields such as agronomy, horticulture, animal, dairy, or poultry husbandry, entomology, microbiology, plant pathology, chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and physiology that involved cross-training in genetics is qualifying, provided it placed sufficient emphasis on genetics.

Evaluation of Education: Most students in the field take graduate work because specific training in genetics may be limited at the undergraduate level. Under these circumstances, it may be necessary to evaluate undergraduate course work in genetics in one of two ways, as described below, to determine whether or not it is qualifying.

  1. Courses dealing with genetics, some phase of genetics, or specific techniques that are applied in genetics work are acceptable. This includes courses in genetics, plant or animal genetics, molecular and cellular biology, mathematics and statistics (as they apply to genetics), population dynamics, and certain techniques such as those dealing with irradiation.
  2. Course work consisting of an appropriate combination of basic courses in genetics and cytology or statistics are also acceptable.

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. Copies of Transcripts must be submitted in order to verity education. Failure to do so will eliminate you from consideration.

AND

To qualify for this position at the FV-I (FG/GS 13) Level, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to FV-H (FG/GS 10-12) Level. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Specialized experience includes but is not limited to experience with functional genomics, collection and analysis of gene and protein expression data; experience with Bioinformatics software in the analysis of data from functional genomics and transcriptomic data; demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment; ability to derive solutions by interpreting and extrapolating; skill in providing recommendations to improve work processes.

Applicants should provide examples of specialized experience in their work history.

AND

QUALITY RANKING FACTOR (QRF): A well-qualified candidate will have demonstrated skill of publishing original peer-reviewed transcriptomic or genomic research in peer reviewed literature as first author, and have knowledge and skill in the bioinformatic analysis of transcriptomic, genomic, or proteomic data to determine differential gene or protein expression between samples.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).

Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.

Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.

See qualifications required.

Information Regarding KSAs:

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.or more information.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and Other Factors listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Preview job questionnaire

Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.
The person selected for this position may be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty. FAA policy limits certain outside employment and financial investments in aviation-related companies.

NOTES:

1) All applications MUST be received by the servicing personnel office on or before the closing date of this announcement. Your application package must meet the announcement requirements, include the information listed in the "How to Apply" section of the vacancy announcement, and include all required forms.

2) Current/former permanent employees of another Federal agency (Competitive or Excepted Service) who have completed a probationary period. Applicants claiming transfer or reinstatement eligibility must submit Notice of Personnel Action (SF-50) or its equivalent to verify status. All applicants MUST provide a copy of their most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) which verifies current position/title/series/grade/tenure/organization of record. SF-50 must be received by closing date of this announcement in order to receive consideration.

3) Veterans who are honorably discharged from the Armed Forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active service. EVHO eligibles MUST upload or email a copy of a DD Form 214 reflecting three (3) years of continuous active service and character of service to verify eligibility.

4) Leave Enhancement: FAA organizations may offer enhanced annual leave accrual to newly appointed or reappointed employees. In order to receive consideration for such a benefit, applicants' prior non-Federal service or active duty uniformed service must directly relate to the duties of the position to which appointed. Granting enhanced annual leave is at the sole discretion of the hiring organization, and granting such benefit is not an entitlement nor guaranteed to any newly hired employee.

5) Some, all or none of the applicants may be interviewed.

6) All applicants MUST apply on-line to receive consideration for this vacancy announcement. Faxed, mailed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted.

7) This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: http://jobs.faa.gov/FAACORECompensation.htm

8) Please ensure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered for the job.

9) Additional information regarding living in Oklahoma can be found at www.abetterlifeokc.com

10) To confirm receipt of emailed documents, please call 405-954-3969



This position is eligible but not in a bargaining unit.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay , COLA

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Federal Aviation Administration

Thanks to the work of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), over the past 50 years, aviation has become central to the way we live and do business, linking people from coast to coast and connecting America to the world. In fact, FAA has created the safest, most reliable, most efficient, and most productive air transportation system in the world.

Agency contact information

Jenny Sewell
Phone
1 (405) 954-3969
Email
jenny.r.sewell@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
AAC Regional HR Services Division
6500 S. Macarthur Blvd, HQ Room 155
AHF-C400
Oklahoma City, OK 73169
US

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