Agricultural Science Research Technician (Animal) Job in Dubois, ID

Vacancy No. ARS-S25PWA-12571082-mds Department Agricultural Research Service
Salary $36,209.00 to $57,354.00 Grade 4 to 6
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/10/2024 Close Date 10/14/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Dubois, ID


Summary


This position is within the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Range Sheep Production Efficiency Research Unit (RSPERU) located in Dubois, ID

In this position you will perform a variety of routine, standardized tests; procedures, routines, or operations in support of research projects, animal husbandry, and cropland/rangeland care. The majority of duties occur in the outdoor environment.

Duties

  • Monitors the health of animals (sheep, cattle, horses, and dogs). Assists with delivering diets to horses and dogs.
  • Assists in one or more phases of the research or operational processes by performing a variety of standardized or routine duties in, rangeland, and feedlot environments.
  • Keeps detailed records of experimental data as it relates to animal feeding, health, and performance; pasture management and utilization; and invasive weed location and treatment.
  • Records instrument readings, collects samples, and takes measurements.
  • Maintains inventory of all animal feeds, supplements, and additives; plant materials (seeds), fertilizers, and herbicides; and any chemicals relevant to the assigned work equipment/area.

Requirements

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
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • 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 E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a valid State issued Motor Vehicle Driver License required within 6 months of hire.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a valid Pesticide Applicators License required within 6 months of hire.
  • Ability to operate large equipment such as tractors and attachments, feed mixers, and loaders.

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.

Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled and which provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

GS-04
Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-4 position includes 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience which is directly related to the work of this position. General experience for this position is defined as (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing a full range of routine and recurring techniques using a variety of general and specialized feed transport, processing, storage and delivery equipment; pasture tillage, seeding, irrigation, and management equipment; and mixing and delivering diets to animals (ruminants) in a feedlot and rangeland environment.
OR
Education: Two years of study above the high school level that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related to the position to be filled. Related courses include animal sciences, livestock feeding and nutrition, livestock/farm animal management, animal/livestock production, or meat sciences.
OR
A combination of education and experience as described above.

GS-05
Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-5 grade level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to the GS-4 grade level or its non-federal equivalent, maintaining inventory of all animal feeds, supplements, and additives; maintaining, calibrating or modifying equipment and automated systems used for test and evaluation procedures and collecting samples, maintaining records, compiling data and other information from various sources.
OR
Education:A full 4-year course of study above the high school level leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics. At least 6 semester hours of courses must have been directly related. Related courses may include animal sciences, livestock feeding and nutrition, livestock/farm animal management, animal/livestock production, or meat sciences.
OR
A combination of education and experience as described above.

GS-06
Experience: Qualifying experience for GS-06 grade level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to the GS-05 grade level or its non-federal equivalent, participating in an agricultural animal research study involving sheep; collecting and evaluating animal or biological samples; recording and analyzing research results and data; and operating farm equipment.
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 animal sciences, livestock feeding and nutrition, livestock/farm animal management, animal/livestock production, or meat sciences.
OR
A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education directly related to the work of the position as stated above.

Physical Demands:The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking or bending, lifting heavy items (in excess of 50 lbs.), restraining animals, installing gates and fences, and climbing grain-bin ladders, fences and feed bunks. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In other situations, such as in a laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination.

Work Environment: The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working with contagious diseases or irritant chemicals, working outdoors in extreme weather conditions in remote locations, or around large machinery with exposed moving parts. Majority of time will be spent working in animal facilities, barns or outdoors. The employee is required to use protective clothing such as gowns, coats, boots, helmets, goggles, and/or gloves.

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

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP 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/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
  • If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
  • This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
  • Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.

Benefits

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy using category rating. Applicants who meet basic minimum qualifications will be placed in one of two or three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Category placement will be determined based on applicants' quality of experience and the extent they possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or competencies:

  • Animal Science, Applies Technology to Tasks, and Research
    • Animal Science
    • Applies Technology to Tasks
    • Research

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. 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" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12571082

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

  • Resume that includes:1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) other qualifications.
  • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • If claiming veteran's preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions.If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment.Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
  • If claiming 10-point veteran's preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans' preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

How to Apply

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" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.

Agency contact information

Melissa Smith
Address
Agricultural Research Service
800 Buchanan Street
Albany, CA 94710
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

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 to check your application status.
You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to lynda.smith@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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