Biological Science Technician

Incumbent provides scientific and technical support at the national level to address science-based problems related to the APHIS, PPQ's mission to safeguard United States (U.S.) agricultural and natural resources while promoting safe trade.

Appointment type

Term - 13 Months (Appointment may be extended up to 10 years without re-announcing)

• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Gathers, assembles and summarizes data and scientific information in assigned subject areas.
• Prepares presentations and professional materials dealing with plant health issues.
• Conducts research in support of risk analysis, and plant health issues for agency safeguarding programs.
• Tracks project data, coordinates and populates information in project tracking systems.
• Coordinates scientific meetings and planning sessions in support of national PPQ programs.
• Adheres to all requirements for cooperative agreement development, processing and management.
• Assists with project planning in assigned area.

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National

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.

FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-08 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Experience supporting the technical aspects of mitigating plant pests and/or diseases and their impacts to US agriculture and the natural environment.
• Experience analyzing and summarizing scientific information and effectively communicating results with working groups, stakeholders and customers both orally and in writing.
• Experience planning, executing, and managing projects and agreements to successfully complete assignments in a timely fashion.
• Experience in using Salesforce, SharePoint, and Microsoft computer programs to organize, track and communicate project data.
• Experience writing detailed technical and management reports from scientific data and information.

OR Successful completion of two full years of graduate level education, or a master's degree in biology, entomology, plant pathology, or in a field directly related to the position, may be substituted for the specialized experience at the GS-9 level.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
 

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. This means you will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics):
 

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Horticultural Sciences
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Laboratory Support
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Teamwork

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12435566