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Biological Science Laboratory Technician

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Biological Science Laboratory Technician performs technical duties in support of Principal Investigators conducting research in projects in the fields of human and mouse brain stimulation. The position is located within the Research Service division at the Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, California. This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months, but it may be extended up to 4 years.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
06/22/2022 to 07/11/2022
Salary
$54,959 to - $71,441 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Palo Alto, CA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CARZ-11541872-22-BMM
Control number
661187600

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Duties

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THE CLOSING DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 7/11/2022. APPLICANTS THAT HAVE ALREADY APPLIED MAY UPDATE THEIR APPLICATION MATERIALS IF NEEDED BUT DO NOT NEED TO RE-APPLY.

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Prepares for and administers rTMS brain stimulation, under supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI), to human participants from residential programs in a clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of rTMS in the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
  • Implements brain stimulation in mice and sets up the laboratory equipment for making a variety of scientific measurements and observations of sample materials.
  • Analyzes and interprets experimental data gathered, leading to basic conclusions and inferences, and accurately summarizes the data.
  • Identifies research opportunities according to requirements of a research plan or instructions of supervisor.
  • Sets up standard equipment performing a variety of studies.
  • Compiles data from laboratory observations.
  • Completes documents and data sheets.
  • Observes, measures, and records a variety of scientific phenomena within the clinic and the biochemistry laboratory, as well as operates scientific precision instruments, calculating machines, and laboratory apparatus as required.
  • Assists in human and animal studies, including but not limited to, administrating treatment and monitoring for care.
  • Utilizes a computer, calculators, recorders and other equipment to assist in compiling and reducing data from the laboratory.
  • Monitors for adverse events and responds appropriately.
  • Administers daily treatments or rTMS sessions to wild-type and mouse disease models.
  • Processes human and mouse tissue samples for biochemical analysis, including DNA extraction, protein extraction, and slicing mouse brain tissue on a cryostat.
  • Carries out simple biochemical assays for genotyping, Western blot, ELISA, and immunofluorescent staining.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

NOTE: This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 13 months). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration (more than 1 year but not more than 4). Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition (up to the 4 year maximum). The appointment to a Term position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements
Specialized Experience: Experience must have been related to the work of the position for which application is made. The specialized experience required for some positions in this series is normally work performed in a controlled environment. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Research activity or control program work.
  • Nursery work that required the growing and maintenance of plants in a controlled environment.
  • Work comparable to that with a large dairy farm where production records, animal environment, and sanitary conditions were kept in accordance with modern dairy practice.
Note: Farming experience that was not performed in a controlled environment, or experience as a laborer who was not responsible for planning and scheduling his/her own work, but only performed assigned tasks, would not qualify as specialized experience.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:Applicants may qualify for this position based on specialized experience. Requires at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples include:
  • experience and knowledge in working in a research laboratory
  • experience collecting specimens and samples
  • experience maintaining research records and files
  • experience working with mice experiments
(Resumes must clearly demonstrate this experience to be creditable. We will not make assumptions regarding experience.)
OR-
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completion of at least one (1) year of graduate education in a field of study directly related to the work of this position.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Requires equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience, as described above, meets the total experience requirements for this position. Only graduate education above 6 months will be creditable.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Biology
  • Clerical
  • Data Systems
  • Research

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring walking or ending and prolonged periods of standing. Laboratory experiments or operations require agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination. Administration of the rTMS procedure requires accurate positioning of the approximate 15 lbs. treatment coil to the correct anatomical location on the human participant's skull. There is periodic walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as participant records, study-related supplies, instructional material, books and manuals. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (650) 493-5000.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. 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 and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

  • Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
  • Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
  • Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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