In this position you will provide expertise in fungal biology, taxonomy and risk analysis as a recognized specialist and consultant or team member to agency import policy staff, survey design groups, survey personnel, and Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program managers. You will also review, evaluate and suggest modifications of inspection methodologies and approaches as an enhancement to plant pest and plant disease surveillance systems.
The duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Identifies or verifies identification of plant associated fungi and may identify other pathogens, viruses and isolate nematodes; to genus and/or species level.
- Develops and maintains specimen collections of fungi and other plant pathogens pertinent to programs in the incumbent's area of coverage.
- Maintains, develops, and supplements information on taxonomy, hosts, distribution and other related information pertaining to intercepted and/or survey plant associated fungi.
- Develops or aids in developing training modules and appropriately illustrated identification aids and works with national program staff to deliver training to PPQ, DHS and State employees.
- Determines options for quarantine actions to be enforced by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ).
- Consults advises DHS, State departments of agriculture and other cooperators on the identity and biology of and procedures for detecting plant associated fungi.
- Monitors samples submitted for identification, pest interception, survey data, and pest detection techniques.
- Works with local and regional regulatory personnel to analyze and characterize pest risk of pathways, contributing critical expertise on pest biology, taxonomy and detection methods.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
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 REQUIREMENT:
Degree: plant pathology; or a related scientific discipline that included at least 20 semester hours in basic botany or plant science, and 10 semester hours in plant pathology.
Graduate Education: must have been in plant pathology, or in one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, or have followed a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on plant pathology or one of the recognized subject-matter fields of plant pathology, such as those dealing with particular types of pathogens, diseases of particular kinds of crops, or chemical or biological controls. Graduate study in related fields such as microbiology, entomology, plant physiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, forestry, or chemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on plant pathology.
Evaluation of Education: courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, agronomy, forestry, horticulture, or similar subjects may be used to meet the 20-semester-hour requirement in basic botany or plant science. To meet the specific 10-semester-hour requirement in plant pathology, the courses must have been in plant pathology, or have dealt with specific subject matter areas of plant pathology such as those concerned with viruses, fungal or bacterial diseases, host-plant relationships, biotic or chemical controls, environmental or physiological diseases, parasitic diseases, etc.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement you will also need to meet the following:
FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
- Experience with agricultural quarantine principles, regulations, methods, and policies in a plant pest and disease program.
- Detect, identify, intercept, and characterize microscopic pathogens of a wide variety of plant genera, with an emphasis on classification/ taxonomy.
- Developed and maintained specimen collections of plant pests pertinent to programs on the identity and biology of and procedures for detecting plant pests and pathogens.
- Preparing and processing biological and commodity shipments to national identification services.
- Aids in developing informative and educational training material and identification aids for plant diseases and assists in delivering training to the general public.
OR
2 years of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree in plant pathology, or a related scientific discipline.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS are required:
- This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified.
- You are qualifying for the position based on education.
- You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
- This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.
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 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:
- Compliance Inspection
- Pathology
- 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.
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