Biological Science Technician

This position is located with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Forage Seed & Cereal Research Unit's Hop Breeding Program located in Prosser, Washington. The incumbent will provide technical support for the breeding program with the goal of developing new cultivars, improving germplasm, and evaluating new hop breeding methodologies.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 is experience directly related to the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position.
GS-06
Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-06 level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to the GS-05 level in the federal government or its non-federal equivalent participating in a plant-based research project; growing plants and collecting samples or data.
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 include plant science, plant pathology, plant physiology, agronomy, agriculture production, horticulture, plant breeding, plant genetics, genetics, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science, environmental studies, agriculture, botany, natural resources, field crop management, fruit and vegetable management, landscape management, nursery management, greenhouse management, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, agricultural and food systems, agricultural biotechnology, agricultural technology and production management, Biological Science, soil science and sustainability.
OR
An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education directly related to the work of the position as stated above.
GS-07:
Experience: Qualifying experience for the GS-07 level includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 level or its non-federal equivalent that included leading and establishing a plant-based research project; growing and maintaining plants for an experiment, collecting plant samples and data, recording information, and compiling data.
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 include plant science, plant pathology, plant physiology, agronomy, agriculture production, horticulture, plant breeding, plant genetics, genetics, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science, environmental studies, agriculture, botany, natural resources, field crop management, fruit and vegetable management, landscape management, nursery management, greenhouse management, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, agricultural and food systems, agricultural biotechnology, agricultural technology and production management, Biological Science, soil science and sustainability.
OR
An appropriate 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. 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, 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 or working outdoors. The employee is required to use protective clothing such as gowns, coats, boots, goggles, 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: Please see above for education qualification option information.Employment Type: FULL_TIME