Entomologist

Summary

This position is located in Lansing, MI.

This position is with a Forest Service research unit where the incumbent performs a variety of professional entomology tasks.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Toby Petrice at toby.petrice@usda.gov.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates
  
  07/13/2022 to 07/27/2022
  
  This job will close when we have received 40 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
  
• Salary
  
  $54,727 - $54,727 per year
  
• Pay scale & grade
  
  GS 9
  
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  Location
  
  1 vacancy in the following location:
  
  • Lansing, MI
    
• Remote job
  
  No
  
• Telework eligible
  
  Yes-as determined by the agency policy.
  
• Travel Required
  
  Occasional travel - Expect occasional overnight travel 3-5 times per year to visit other Forest Service offices or field locations and attend other professional meetings.
  
• Relocation expenses reimbursed
  
  No
  
• Appointment type
  
  Permanent
  
• Work schedule
  
  Full-time
  
• Service
  
  Competitive
  
• Promotion potential
  
  None - 9
  
• Job family (Series)
  
  0414 Entomology
  
• Supervisory status
  
  No
  
• Security clearance
  
  Not Required
  
• Drug test
  
  No
  
• Position sensitivity and risk
  
  Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
  
• Trust determination process
  
  Credentialing
  
  Suitability/Fitness
  
• Announcement number
  
  22-RES-11562346-DP-LMS
  
• Control number
  
  664782200
  

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This job is open to

• The public
  
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
  
  

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Duties

• Conduct field experiments to evaluate different insect trap designs, semio-chemical attractants for insect detection and monitoring, insect host preference, biocontrol, and/or efficacy of systemic insecticides for controlling forest insect pests
• Participate in laboratory bioassays to determine insecticide toxicity, insect attack densities, parasitism, feeding preferences and performance on different host species.
• Communicate and collaborate with university partners and Federal, State, and private land managers.
• Communicate with and direct the activities of technicians and seasonal employees during field assignments and laboratory research.
• Use computers and software to input, analyze, and manage research data.
• Follow basic safety practices to prevent injury to yourself or others.
• Use operational tools, strategies, or techniques for insect survey, evaluation, or control.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• 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.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement: 0414 Entomology Series 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 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, and mathematics or statistics that provided some training in the analysis of variables.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Minimum Qualifications:

For the GS-9 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level. To meet the specialized experience requirements for this GS-9 position, your resume must demonstrate at least 3 of the following:

• Developing, coordinating, and conducting Entomology research projects related to insect management
• Planning, organizing, and conducting laboratory bioassays or experiments related to Entomology research
• Conducting data analysis and/or managing datasets
• Preparing complete and comprehensive scientific reports

OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related, in Entomology, Forestry, Plant Pathology, Wildlife Biology or a related discipline with coursework in Entomology.

OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

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, knowledge, and skills 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

See above for education that may be required or qualifying for this position.

Additional information

The first 40 applicants who complete and submit an application will be reviewed for referral to the hiring manager. You are encouraged to apply for the position as soon as possible. This announcement will remain open until the closing date indicated; however, individuals who apply after the limit is reached will be reviewed for consideration only if no selection is made from the initial group or if additional vacancies occur and additional candidates are needed. If you un-submit your application to make changes or updates, the date the application is last submitted will be used to determine those who are considered to have met the cut-off criteria.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.
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.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

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  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.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications.

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11562346

• Help
  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.
  
  
• As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, 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 responsibilities section including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) 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; 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. 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.