General Biologist

Summary

This position is located in the USDA's Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP). OPMP's mission is to integrate and coordinate pest management efforts; provide data, information, and analyses to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to better inform pesticide regulatory decisions; and provide a Departmental focal point for farmers, grower organizations, EPA, and State Land Grant institutions regarding pesticide and pest management issues.

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Duties

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• Serves as an authoritative source and nationally recognized expert in the assessment of pest management practices in risk/benefit evaluations.
• Independently plans and coordinates environmental evaluations and risk assessments involving complex crop production systems, including specialty crops, and large ecological systems.
• Provides scientific briefings orally or in writing for senior officials. As needed, aids in assessing risks associated with chemical, biological, physical hazards, and other threats to agriculture and the food supply.
• Represents OPMP and USDA at national and international events for risk assessment and ecological or human health concerns related to pest management and pesticides. Participates in expert panels, leads workshops, and participates as appropriate.
• Provides scientific and technical guidance based on knowledge about crop production practices, particularly as they relate to pest management and pesticides.
• Represents OPMP and USDA on various pesticide/human health/ecological-related committees. Provides independent scientific and regulatory advice on pest management and pesticide issues to USDA agencies.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with agency officials, other government officials, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, university personnel, industry representatives, grower groups, etc.
• Serves as a liaison with EPA, USDA staff, and Land Grant and industry scientists involved in risk assessment and decision making related to pest management/pesticides to ensure assessment of technology is characterized correctly.
• Presents results of analyses to USDA, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders, and prepares plans to mitigate the biological and economic impacts of proposed pesticide and pest management regulatory decisions.
• Assignments require extensive analysis to determine the nature and scope of the problems. Using a variety of analytical methods and techniques to assess a wide range of scientific, legal, and risk issues related to pest management and pesticides.
• Develops and coordinates the sharing of information scientific advice within OPMP and providing coordination/guidance to risk assessors across the Department on pesticide and pest management issues as needed.
• Writes scientific documents for internal/external purposes on risk assessment, the environment, and regulatory impacts. Recommendations have a continual/lasting effect on governmental or private organization programs/policies.
• Independently identifies developments in science policy issues and/or pesticide regulatory decisions that have implications for agriculture, including implications of international pesticide-related activities.
• Provides unifying expertise in interpreting science and advanced risk assessment techniques on high-level multi-disciplinary teams, including identifying novel risk assessment methods, as appropriate.

Requirements

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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.
• 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 [click to reveal website link]https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including Basic Requirements and Minimum Qualification Requirements, as defined below.

Time in grade:

Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Basic Requirements:In addition to meeting the Minimum Qualification Requirements outlined in the following section, applicants MUST meet the following occupational series requirements:

General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series, 0401

A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Ecology Series, 0408 Degree:

A. Degree: biology, or a related field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

General Physical Science Series, 1301A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements outlined above, applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements.

Specialized Experience:

In addition to meeting at least one of the Basic Requirements as shown above, applicants must also meet the Specialized Experience requirements as shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

GS-15: Qualifying experience for GS-15 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 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 professional experience in pesticide risk assessment, including independently providing authoritative inputs into pesticide risk management decisions; recognized expertise in crop production practices, ecological protection requirements (e.g., ESA, etc.), and emerging science and policy issues related to pesticides; familiarity with State Lead Agency (SLA) processes and perspectives; experience leading multi-disciplinary teams on nationally-relevant pesticide issues; experience identifying and proposing novel regulatory alternatives for pest management policy decisions, including for highly-complex cases; and communicating with policy analysts, officials, leadership, interagency partners, and general audiences about pesticide regulatory considerations.

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

All applicants must meet at least one of the Basic Requirements as outlined in the above Qualifications section.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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 applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

Incentives may be authorized.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.