This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/516609800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Incumbent will be assigned to the Integrated Orchard Management and Automation for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops Research Unit, in Kearneysville, WV. The Integrated Production and Automation project develops and integrates entomological, horticultural, and engineering technology to solve major problems affecting temperate tree fruit production.
11/13/2018 to 12/12/2018
$81,548 - $126,062 per year
GS 12 - 13
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - Domestic and International travel may required to attend scientific meetings, training, and conferences.
Yes—Relocation expenses may be authorized and would be determined at time of offer.
Permanent
Full-Time
Competitive
15
No
No
ARS-D19NEA-0011
516609800
Major Duties:
Specific objectives of the incumbent's independent and collaborative research include:
1) identifying and understanding key whole tree and rootstock-scion interactions;
2) identifying physiological, genetic, and/or cultural mechanisms that enhance tolerance to environmental stress (drought, freezing, heat, elevated CO2), nutrient- and water use-efficiency, growth habits and/or fruit quality;
3) developing new production systems that are designed specifically for automated practices and/or for value-added products. Objectives will be met through field, greenhouse, growth chamber, and laboratory experiments.
Methodologies necessary to carry out this work include: equipment and protocols to assess drought tolerance and WUE, photosynthesis, and dormancy, quantification of phytochemicals such as hormones, sugars, lipids, and other signaling molecules, molecular biology techniques, phloem/xylem sampling and analysis, tissue fixation and microscopy, horticultural techniques for assessing phenotypes associated with plant growth and development as well as fruit quality, and technologies for studying genotype-by-environment interactions.
CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: Federal employees are subject to prohibitions against officially dealing with outside organizations in which they have a financial interest. If hired for this position, you may be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of the effective date of your appointment and annually thereafter.
To be considered for a research scientist position, you must submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Also, 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 meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified by grade level.
This is an interdisciplinary position and may be filled in any of the job series/position titles listed. In addition to the specialized experience requirements, applicants must submit proof that they meet the educational requirements for at least one of the series described in the announcement. Applicants may only be appointed to job series/position titles for which they meet all experience and educational requirements.
Vacant research positions may be filled at one of several grade levels depending upon the scientific impact of the person selected. For this reason, you are encouraged to apply at all grade levels. A peer review will be required for selections made at grades GS-13 and above and the selectee will be required to submit supplemental materials.
Research scientists have open-ended promotion potential. Research accomplishments and their impact on the duties and responsibilities of positions are evaluated periodically. 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.
Your education and experience will be evaluated against all qualification requirements (basic and any additional requirements) listed below.
Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
Basic Requirements:
Plant Physiology, 0435 Series
Degree: Botany or Plant Physiology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 10 semester hours in plant physiology.
Horticulture, 0437 Series
A) Degree: Horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and po stharvest handling of horticultural crops;
OR
B) Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A. above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Additional Requirements:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below.
GS-12: Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree directly related to the duties of the position OR 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal Service OR a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience.
Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 level of this position are:
• Experience conducting research related to physiological, genetic, and/or cultural mechanisms that enhance tolerance to environmental stress (e.g. drought, freezing, heat, elevated CO2), nutrient and water use-efficiency, growth habits and/or quality of plants (e.g. fruits, vegetables, ornamental crops, trees, woody plants);
• Experience using both field-based horticultural approaches and advanced laboratory techniques (e.g. analytical chemistry and/or biotechnology) for addressing research questions in plant physiology/horticulture; and specialty crop (fruits, vegetables, ornamentals etc.) production improvement; AND
• Experience publishing research in peer-reviewed scientific journals in plant sciences.
GS-13: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for
the GS-13 level of this position are:
• Experience planning and conducting independent research related to physiological, genetic, and/or cultural mechanisms that enhance tolerance to environmental stress (e.g. drought, freezing, heat, elevated CO2), nutrient and water use-efficiency, growth habits and/or quality of plants (e.g. fruits, vegetables, ornamental crops, trees, woody plants);
• Experience using both field-based horticultural approaches and advanced laboratory techniques (e.g. analytical chemistry and/or biotechnology) for addressing research questions in plant physiology/horticulture; and specialty crop (fruits, vegetables, ornamentals etc.) production improvement; AND
• Experience publishing research in peer-reviewed scientific journals in plant sciences.
Applicants must address the specialized experience requirements in their resume (or application documents). Applications that do not reflect the specialized experience requirements will not be deemed qualified.
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.
For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here:
http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Eligible applicants will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Applicants with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/516609800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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