Job Summary

This position is located in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plains Area (PA), Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit (ABADRU) at the Center for Grain and Animal Health Research in Manhattan, KS. As a biological science technician, you will perform laboratory techniques to support research on arthropod-borne viruses of livestock and their insect vectors in order to develop innovative and biologically-relevant solutions for arthropod-borne disease problems.

Job Description

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-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 in a laboratory setting; collecting, preparing, and evaluating samples; and operating and maintaining laboratory equipment used for laboratory studies. OR Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters' or equivalent graduate degree, related degrees may include Biology, Animal Science, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Entomology, and Virology. OR An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education directly related to the work of the position as stated above. GS-08 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-08 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 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 infectious pathogens, animals, livestock or insects; collecting, preparing, and evaluating samples related to infectious pathogens, animals, livestock or insects; and operating and maintaining research equipment used to analyze DNA or RNA or cell cultures. OR Education: Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters' or equivalent graduate degree, related degrees may include Biology, Animal Science, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Entomology, and Virology. OR An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education directly related to the work of the position as stated above. GS-09 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-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-08 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 calibrating complex equipment for infectious pathogens, animals, livestock or insects related research projects; summarizing research data for reports; and selecting the appropriate methods or procedures for carrying out research projects involving animal tissue cultures. OR Education: Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters' or equivalent graduate degree, related degrees may include Biology, Animal Science, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Entomology, and Virology. OR An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education directly related to the work of the position as stated 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.