Summary
This position is located within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Field Organization, Plains Area (PA), National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), Manhattan, KS.
The incumbent is responsible for developing and evaluating the bioprocesses related to detection, diagnostics, and veterinary medical countermeasures to high-consequence veterinary pathogens such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus and African Swine Fever Virus.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.
Duties
- Maintain and scale cell cultures, including transferring adherent cells to suspension lines.
- Develop upstream and downstream processes for vaccines and biologics using bioreactors up to 200 L.
- Perform bioreactor runs, optimization, antigen concentration, and formulation of candidate countermeasures.
- Perform data analysis, apply Quality by Design (QbD) principles, and evaluate results for suitability and accuracy.
- Maintain and calibrate moderately complex laboratory instruments and bioprocessing systems.
- Ensure compliance with select agent rules, biosafety requirements (BSL-2/3/4), and OSHA standards.
- Support research projects aligned with NP 103.
- Assist with editing reports, drafting scientific content, and preparing data for publications, presentations, and regulatory submissions.
- Support patenting, invention disclosures, and other tech-transfer documentation.
- Apply OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens, select agent regulations, and biosafety practices (BSL-2/3/4).
- Follow national/international policies regarding veterinary countermeasures, IP, dual-use research, and international exchange.
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. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
- 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/.
- Motor Vehicle or Commercial Driver's License Required.
- Drug Test Required (Applicant and Incumbent).
- SAC and full background investigation required for positions working with BSL-3 (or higher) agents, or in BSL-3/BSL-4 facilities.
- The health status of personnel is monitored periodically using biologic and serologic tests and physical examinations.
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 Requirements for Biologics Series, 0401:
Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
OR
A combination of education and experience: Specifically, you must have course work equivalent to a major that included courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
In addition to meeting the basic education requirements described above, applicants must also meet additional qualification requirements as stated below:
FOR THE GS-12:
Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-12 is fulfilled by having experience conducting bioprocess development activities such as maintaining cell cultures, developing upstream and/or downstream processes, or operating bioreactors or related fermentation systems for production of biologics, vaccines, or diagnostic materials.
FOR THE 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. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-13 is fulfilled by having experience leading bioprocess development for biologics, vaccines, or diagnostic material; independently designing, modifying, and validating upstream and downstream processes; operating and scaling bioreactors/ fermenters (e.g., shake flask to production-scale systems up to ~200 L); and transferring adherent cell lines to suspension culture for bioreactor use.
FOR THE GS-14:
Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 is fulfilled by having experience serving as a technical authority in biotechnology and bioprocessing; developing and optimizing upstream and downstream manufacturing processes, including bioreactor-based production systems; scaling laboratory processes to pilot-scale production; providing technical leadership and consultation to multidisciplinary research teams; communicating scientific findings through technical reports, presentations, publications, or regulatory documentation.
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
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
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.
The Office of Personnel Management has granted Direct Hire Authority for Scientific, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Positions, Acquisitions, Cybersecurity and Related Positions. There is a critical hiring need, and these positions play a critical role within the Agency.
The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional) positions under Direct Hire Authority. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.
Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer.
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.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work is performed in both an office environment and biocontainment laboratory. Work may require long periods of standing and recurring bending, reaching, or similar activities, and lifting of equipment or samples weighing less than 50 pounds. Some work may involve wearing of personal protective equipment, including a respirator (N-95 or PAPR), while entering infectious disease laboratories, engineering support areas, or animal facilities areas. The incumbent may be required to work around large, restrained animals. This further requires working around quickly often frightened, unpredictable, and ill-natured animals. Travel may be required.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work is performed in an office, laboratories, and as needed, animal containment facilities. The work involves exposure to the risks and hazards of harmful biological, chemical, and physical agents are possible. Immunizations with vaccines may be required to enter facilities conducting work with human diseases. The incumbent may be required to occasionally wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks or respirators, air pressurized suits, hearing protection, eye protection, boots, gloves, and coveralls.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Due to the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA), applicants are not rated and ranked numerically, and Veteran's preference does not apply. Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide complete
information about their job-related experience and education. Your resume must document that you
meet the Qualification Requirements detailed above. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification
requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. Although Veteran's
preference does not apply due to the existence of the DHA for this position, applicants are still
encouraged to provide documentation related to veteran's preference.
Applications will be evaluated in accordance with Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Delegated Examining Procedures and USDA policy. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork
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 qualified 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/12999376
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: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; 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); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
- 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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
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 to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages.
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.
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 documents 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. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages. Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration.
Next steps
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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 Rachel.Amroliwalla@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.