Biological Scientist

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Ames (IA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

The incumbent serves as a Biological Scientist in the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB), Policy, Evaluation, and Licensing (PEL). The role involves testing and evaluating proposed and licensed biologics for agents intended for prevention, treatment, or diagnosis of animal disease.

Major duties include developing standardized assay methods, evaluating data for licensure, and presenting findings in scientific and regulatory settings. Position starts 09/25/2026 and closes 10/01/2026.

Qualifications

• BASIC REQUIREMENT: degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines.
• Combination of education and experience: 24 semester/36 quarter hours in biological sciences plus appropriate experience or courses.
• FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: one year of specialized experience with microbiology and DNA/RNA techniques.
• 3 years of graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in related fields.
• Transcripts required if coursework or degree is essential to qualification.
• Combination of education & experience may be used to meet total requirements.

Responsibilities

• Testing and evaluating the potency, safety, purity, and efficacy of products.
• Evaluating research, developmental, and field data produced by firms for licensure.
• Proposing and developing standardized assay methods and initiating collaborative studies.
• Preparing and evaluating references and reagents to support the section and communities.
• Designing, developing, and evaluating new procedures to enhance products.
• Presenting results in written, poster, and oral formats at scientific and regulatory venues.

Skills

Microbiology techniques

DNA/RNA methods

Record keeping

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor's or higher in biological sciences or related field

Tools

PCR

Sequencing

Job description

Find Your Future With Us at USDA – Animal Plant Health Inspection Service

Job Summary

The incumbent serves as a Biological Scientist in the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB), Policy, Evaluation, and Licensing (PEL). The incumbent has responsibility for testing and evaluating proposed and licensed biologics for agents assigned by the Section Chief that are intended for prevention, treatment, or diagnosis of animal disease.

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: A degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR Combination of education and experience: post high school education with courses equivalent to a major, which is defined as 24 semester/36 quarter hours, in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to the position, PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate the below: FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: Performing microbiology techniques such as fermentation, anaerobic and aerobic culture, aseptic technique, microbial cell count, gram stain, light and fluorescent microscopy, or viral techniques (neutralization, detection and propagation). Performing DNA/RNA extraction, DNA isolation, electrophoresis, real time PCR, conventional PCR, plasmid isolation and characterization, Sanger sequencing or next Generation sequencing. Conducting accurate record keeping, statistically summarizing data, evaluating the validity of samples; interpreting results and reporting findings. OR 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level. TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. You are qualifying for the position based on education. You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education. This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-11 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. 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.

Major Duties

• Testing and evaluating the potency, safety, purity, and efficacy of products.
• Evaluating research, developmental, and field data produced by firms while seeking licensure of veterinary biologic products.
• Proposing and developing standardized assay methods and initiating collaborative studies to implement those standardized assays for the biologics community.
• Preparing and evaluating references and reagents to support the Section and to supply as references and reagents to the biologics and scientific communities.
• Designs, develops, and evaluates new procedures and techniques to enhance the evaluation of current products or to test emerging conventional and biotechnology based veterinary biologics.
• Presents the results of work in written, poster, and oral forms in a variety of scientific and regulatory contexts, including scientific journals, and scientific and public meetings.

Position Start Date:

09/25/2026

Position Close Date:

10/01/2026

Salary Offered:

75284 - 97875 USD Per Year

You can make a difference! The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) needs bright, energetic and committed professionals to facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and to protect the health and care of animals and plants in the United States. We operate in domestic and global markets. Be part of an organization that protects the health and agriculture of the American people. Join our team! To learn more about what it's like to work at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, what the agency does, and the types of careers, please visit the APHIS careers site. APHIS is an emergency response agency. This means that all Agency employees may be asked or assigned to participate in rotating temporary duty assignments to support emergency programs at some time during their careers with APHIS.