Agricultural Science Research Technician

US-Agricultural-Research-Servic; Brownwood (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Crop Germplasm Research Unit in Brownwood, TX, seeks personnel to perform technical duties supporting pecan cultivar research. Responsibilities include operating farm and irrigation equipment across about 250 acres and collecting samples for plant studies.

Qualifications cover GS-06 to GS-08 levels with specialized experience or graduate education in related fields; preparation includes data organization and advanced

Qualifications

• GS-06: Specialized experience collecting samples for a plant research project; organizing scientific data; operating standard farm equipment (tractors, sprayers, shredders, plows, rakes).
• GS-07: Specialized experience collecting samples for a plant research project; compiling scientific data; operating irrigation and specialized farm equipment (skid steers, harvesters, bucket-lifts).
• GS-08: Specialized experience processing samples; analyzing or summarizing scientific data; maintaining irrigation infrastructure and plant farming equipment (tree shakers, harvesters, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Operate farm equipment to manage approx. 250 acres of pecan orchards.
• Collect samples for plant research projects and organize data.
• Process and analyze samples; maintain irrigation systems and related equipment.

Skills

Specialized experience

Data organization

Education

Master's degree or higher related field

Graduate education evidence (2+ years)

Job description

This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Crop Germplasm Research Unit located in Brownwood, TX.

In this position, you will be performing a variety of technical duties to help facilitate the research and development of improved pecan cultivars for productive use by U.S. farmers. This includes operating farm and irrigation equipment to manage and maintain approximately 250 acres of pecan orchards. 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-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 samples for a plant research project; organizing scientific data; and operating standard farm equipment (including but not limited to tractors, sprayers, shredders, plows, and rakes).

OR

Education: 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 Crop Science, Horticulture, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Biological Sciences, Plant Pathology, Forestry, Agricultural Science, Ecology, Entomology, or Genetics.

OR

A combination of 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 successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience collecting samples for a plant research project; compiling scientific data; and operating irrigation and specialized farm equipment (specialized equipment including but not limited to skid steers, harvesters, bucket-lifts, backhoes, bulldozers, and crop sprayers).

OR

Education: 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 Crop Science, Horticulture, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Biological Sciences, Plant Pathology, Forestry, Agricultural Science, Ecology, Entomology, or Genetics.

OR

A combination of education and specialized experience as described 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 processing samples for a plant research project; analyzing or summarizing scientific data; and utilizing or maintaining irrigation infrastructure and specialized plant-related farming equipment (specialized plant equipment including but not limited to tree shakers, harvesters, row sweepers, air-blast sprayers, tree hedgers, chippers, mulchers, and tree-spades).

OR

Education: Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, if directly related. Related degrees may include Crop Science, Horticulture, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Biological Sciences, Plant Pathology, Forestry, Agricultural Science, Ecology, Entomology, or Genetics.

OR

A combination of 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.