• Open & closing dates

     10/09/2020 to 10/23/2020

  • Service

    Competitive

  • Pay scale & grade

    GS 12 – 14

  • Salary

    $81,875 to $149,562 per year

  • Appointment type

    Permanent

Summary

This position is with the USDA-ARS Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit (FSCRU) in Corvallis, Oregon.

The incumbent conducts research to understand the spatial and temporal patterns of arthropod and invertebrate pests in seed crop production systems, incorporating the effect of weather, pest biology, pest diversity, crop rotation, crop management, and host resistance.

Responsibilities

  • Develops or improves control strategies and tactics to reduce the impact of agricultural pests while balancing other values or objectives within the agroecosystem.
  • Discovers and provides information needed to develop and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs based on cropping systems knowledge and pest population dynamics.
  • Determine the role of pests on sustainability and crop profitability through their role in yield loss, direct and indirect management costs, and stand establishment and longevity
  • Create or adapt models that integrate pest management with other cropping systems objectives and develop and deploy decision aids that improve agricultural sustainability and profitability.

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
  • 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/.
  • Successful completion of a three year probationary period.

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

Entomology Series, 0414

Degree: entomology; or a related discipline of the biological or physical sciences that included at least 16 semester hours in entomology.

OR

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Education:Applicants with major fields of study in agriculture, biology, zoology, or invertebrate zoology may fully meet the basic educational requirements if their academic preparation included substantive instruction (including appropriate laboratory and field work) in basic general entomology, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, general and organic chemistry, general physics, mathematics or statistics, and modeling that provided some training in the analysis of variables.

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.

Apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/581367300