Description

You must complete your application through USAJobs. There is no exception to this.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/873569800

APHIS is a multi-faceted agency with a broad mission area that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and managing wildlife damage. These efforts support the overall mission of USDA, which is to protect and promote food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues.

The duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Conducts training in parasites and parasite identification, tick and screwworm identification and eradication, and biology, ecology, and identification of arthropod vectors of foreign animal diseases.
• Entomology consultant to agency staff, field personnel, and cooperating university faculties.
• Provides complex biological and ecological information about native and exotic parasites that are of significant economic importance.
• Directs the compilation and publishing of the annual National Tick Surveillance Program Report.
• Maintains communication with program staff personnel in the tick and screwworm eradication programs and foreign animal disease surveillance and eradication programs.
• Conducts field investigations, developmental studies, and literature reviews to provide information on specific questions about parasites of concern.
• Curates the program Parasite Reference Collection.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male 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. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• 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/
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary and a trial period. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• You may be required to wear personal protective equipment.
• This position may be required to deploy for extended periods of time to support emergency programs.

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.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Degree: entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology.

OR

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:Identifying arthropod parasites and pests to the lowest taxonomic level that can be made with certainty based on morphology, host association, geographic location, season, and other pertinent information.
Providing information about an identified organism such as: the threat posed by an organism, whether it is a native species or exotic, disease vectoring capability, geographic distribution, and potential for spreading in the environment.
Maintaining, organizing, and cataloging specimen collections.

Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

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
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
Additional information
 

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.