Interdisciplinary Staff Scientist
Job Location:
Athens, GA - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
Join USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service as an Interdisciplinary Scientist. You will provide public health leadership by developing risk assessment protocols to evaluate microbial and chemical hazards in meat poultry and egg products. Working in a multi-disciplinary team you will analyze foodborne data oversee national sampling programs and recommend mitigation strategies that form the basis of federal food safety policies.
- Cleans organizes and processes data using standard software spreadsheets and programming languages.
- Monitors occurrence rates of pathogens and chemical contaminants in meat poultry and egg products.
- Drafts technical risk materials summaries and informational scientific updates for internal review.
- Sets structural priorities and evaluation parameters for National Residue or Microbiological Sampling Programs.
- Serves as a definitive technical resource for senior leaders on emerging public health hazards.
- Directs multi-disciplinary scientist teams overseeing both core staff or large advisory groups.
- Evaluates technical foreign safety documents related to World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and food safety systems.
- Addresses national technical societies speaks to trade associations and represents FSIS at federal conferences.
- 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.
- May be required to successfully complete a probationary or trial 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 statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action including removal from Federal service.
- If you are selected you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions specialized experience and/or education as defined below.
Time in Grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet the time in grade requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
This position is interdisciplinary and may be filled with any of the following three series. 0403 Microbiology 0415 Toxicology or 1320 Chemistry series.
Basic Education Requirement: In addition to the specialized experience requirement all series have a basic education requirement that you must meet to qualify. See hyperlink in each definition for additional information regarding the individual occupational requirements.
You can meet the IOR for the 0403 Microbiology series with education a combination of education and experience.
A. 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.
B. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in microbiology biology chemistry or basic medical science that included courses as shown in A above plus appropriate experience or additional education.
You can meet the IOR for the 0415 Toxicology series with education.
Degree: toxicology; or an appropriate discipline of the biological medical or veterinary sciences that included at least 30 semester hours in chemistry biochemistry or physiology and 12 semester hours in toxicology.
You can meet the IOR for the 1320 Chemistry series with undergraduate education a combination of education and experience or graduate education.
A. Degree: physical sciences life sciences or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus and at least 6 semester hours of physics.
B. Combination of education and experience: Course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus and at least 6 semester hours of physics plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Specialized experience: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade or its equivalent in federal service. Your resume must clearly describe in detail how your experience meets 4 out of 5 of the following requirements.
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.
If education is required or being used to qualify you must submit a copy of all relevant college transcripts. Do not simply submit your highest degree earned as many of the required courses MAY be on an undergraduate transcript. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however if you are selected official transcripts will be required 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.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
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.
Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) 30 percent disabled veterans certain military spouses Schedule A Disabled etc. explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAWAUG. 7 2015 for more information.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public 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.
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.
Required Experience:
Staff IC
