Supervisory Research Microbiologist / Veterinary Medical Officer

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS); Manhattan (KS); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

USDA Agricultural Research Service in Manhattan, Kansas seeks a research scientist specializing in livestock diseases with open-ended promotion potential. Final grade level may be determined by peer review and demonstrated research impact.

The position requires leading experiments, coordinating researchers and partners across federal agencies and universities, and guiding a multidisciplinary team to counter transboundary animal diseases.

Qualifications

• Basic requirements include degree in microbiology or biology with substantial microbiology coursework.
• Specialized experience for GS-14/15 includes conducting livestock disease research and supervising personnel.
• Strong emphasis on coordinating research with cooperators across federal agencies, universities, and industry.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects on diseases of livestock and countermeasures for transboundary animal diseases.
• Supervise and coordinate research activities of personnel and cooperating agencies.
• Manage program resources and provide direction based on customer and partner needs.

Skills

Livestock disease research

Team supervision

Program management

Collaborations with partners

Education

Microbiology/biological sciences degree

Job description

Summary

This position is located at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF), Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU), Manhattan, Kansas. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. *Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel.

Duties

This position is located at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF), Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU), Manhattan, Kansas. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. *Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel.

Summary

This position is located at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF), Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU), Manhattan, Kansas. Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. The grade level is limited only by the individual's demonstrated ability to perform research of recognized importance to science and technology. *Final grade level may be determined by a peer review panel.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements - Microbiology Series 0403: Degree: Microbiology; or biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included at least 20 semester hours in microbiology and other subjects related to the study of microorganisms, and 20 semester hours in the physical and mathematical sciences combining course work in organic chemistry or biochemistry, physics, and college algebra, or their equivalent. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology, biology, chemistry, or basic medical science that included courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Graduate Education: Microbiology, or specific area of study such as bacteriology, virology, mycology, algology, protozoology, parasitology, immunology, serology, microbial genetics, or soil microbiology; or specific applied fields of microbiology such as clinical and public health microbiology, food technology, production processes, industrial fermentation, pollution, etc. Graduate study in related fields such as experimental pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, biochemistry, animal or plant physiology, genetics, plant pathology, and insect disease control, may also be pertinent, provided it has direct application to microbiological work. Evaluation of Education: Microbiology is a broad field of science encompassing a number of scientific disciplines or areas of science, the fields in which this science is applied, and related fields where the work is concerned with or involves microbiology. The scientific disciplines or areas of this science include bacteriology, immunology, serology, algology, mycology, parasitology, protozoology, rickettsi-ology, tissue culture, virology, and similar disciplines or areas of science. The applied fields include environmental, food, dairy, soil, industrial, public health, clinical, and agricultural microbiology, and similar areas in which microbiology is applied. Related fields include taxonomy and systematics, plant, animal, or human physiology or pathology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, ecology, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related or applies to microbiology. Except where the course work deals with a limited and specific segment of the science, where it might be limited in usefulness, most of the work, including that dealing with the development and use of microbiological methods, procedures, and techniques, is qualifying. In interpreting the substantive value of the course work, credit may be given for courses in related fields, depending on the degree to which the courses are related to micro-biological work. Evaluation of Experience: For positions at GS-9 that involve a substantial amount of work in a specific specialized area or applied field of microbiology, at least 6 months of the experience must either have been in the appropriate area of specialization or applied field of microbiology or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered. For the GS-11 and higher grade levels of such specialized positions, the experience must have been sufficiently specialized to ensure adequate familiarity with the area of specialization or applied field of microbiology or have direct application in the area for which the applicant is being considered. Alternate requirement: For GS-14 clinical and public health microbiology positions, certification by the American Board of Medical Microbiology/American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology, or election to Fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology fully meets the experience requirement for such positions. In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet Specialized Experience requirements as stated below. FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL (FOR BOTH SERIES): The qualification requirements for this position at the GS-14 grade level include one-year specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent that includes: Conducting research on diseases of livestock Conducting trials supporting countermeasures of research and development initiatives for the control of transboundary animal diseases Directly supervising and coordinating research activities of personnel and with cooperating agencies and organizations FOR THE GS-15 LEVEL (FOR BOTH SERIES): The qualification requirements for this position at the GS-15 grade level include one-year specialized experience at the GS-14 grade level, or its non-Federal equivalent that includes: Managing a research program, including personnel, facilities and fiscal resources Managing and directing resources and developing program direction based on contacts with customers and partners within federal agencies, and cooperators in universities and industry Supervising a multidisciplinary team of scientists, synthesizing, coordination and guiding team efforts around short- and long-range targets of basic and applied research on diseases of livestock To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications. Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Our job is finding solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. What we do matters in science and the world. For more information about Agricultural Research Service, go to https://www.ars.usda.gov/.