Position Description and Application Information
This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Sedimentation Laboratory Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit in Oxford, MS.
In this position, you will be responsible for assisting in collecting or preparing soil, water or plant samples in a field or laboratory environment; recording scientific data; and operating basic laboratory equipment.
- Assists higher level technicians in one or more phases of the research process by performing a variety of complex technical duties in a laboratory setting.
- Collects, prepares, evaluates and verifies samples and supporting records of plant, water, or soil research.
- Maintains detailed records of experimental data for biological research.
- Performs routine and recurring techniques and studies by operating common laboratory equipment.
- Tabulates and summarizes data using personal computers and software packages with appropriate quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC).
- Safely disposes of waste material (both chemical and biological).
- Maintains inventory of chemicals.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
GS-05:
Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-05 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-04 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience assisting higher level technicians in one or more phases of the research process in a laboratory setting; and operating common laboratory equipment.
OR
Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study above the high school level leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, microbiology, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position being filled. Related courses may include Agricultural Science, Plant Science, Geography, Soil Science, Geology, or Biology.
OR
A combination of education and specialized experience as described above.
GS-06:
Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-06 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-05 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience collecting and evaluating biological samples; keeping detailed records of experimental data; and performing routine and recurring techniques using a variety of specialized equipment.
OR
Education: Successful completion of one full year of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Agricultural Science, Plant Science, Geography, Soil Science, Geology, or Biology.
OR
A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above.
GS-07:
Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are: Qualifying experience for GS-07 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience participating in a research project related to plants, water, or soil; preparing reports based on research data; and maintaining equipment and automated systems used for test and evaluation procedures.
OR
Education: Successful completion of one full year of graduate level education leading to a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related to the position. Related degrees may include Agricultural Science, Plant Science, Geography, Soil Science, Geology, or Biology.
OR
A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above.
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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
This position does not have an education qualification requirement.
