Summary
This position is located in with the United States Department (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), in the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU), at the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NBAF), in Manhattan, Kansas.
In this position, you will work as a research scientist on the project addressing African Swine Fever (ASF), and Classical Swine Fever (CSF), providing expertise in swine immunology.
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Duties
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- Work as a research scientist on the project addressing ASF and CSF, providing expertise in swine immunology.
- Serve as team leader and Authorized Departmental Officer's Designated Representative (ADODR) for cooperative agreements, identifying research priorities.
- Develop and apply molecular, and immunological techniques to characterize immune mechanisms during infection and vaccination, and assess immunopathogenesis as well as protective innate and adaptive immune responses.
- Develop novel vaccines or countermeasures to prevent or mitigate disease.
- Plan and supervise research, interpreting results, publishing findings, and ensuring compliance with highest standards of animal welfare and stakeholder priorities.
- Serve as an independent investigator, and leader across multiple FADRU projects.
Requirements
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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.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary 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.
- Successful completion of a three year probationary period.
- Testing Designated Position: Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.
- To prevent the spread of diseases, immunization against diseases being studied at NBAF which are transmissible to humans is required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- For physical health monitoring, a baseline blood sample will be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facility.
- Use of Safety protocols and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as respirators, disposable personal protective clothing, and eye protection, are used as needed.
- As required, periodic fitness for duty physicals will be scheduled.
- Body piercings must be able to be removed prior to entry.
- Ability to shower out of biocontainment one or more times per day.
- No contact with specific susceptible animals and their premises away from NBAF for a period of five (5) days after leaving the area. Currently, restricted species are cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, and swine.
- SAC and Full background investigation required.
- Department of Justice (DOJ) Security Risk Assessment (SRA) approval is required.
- Supervisory Responsibilities (EEO Statement)
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.
All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement outlined in the Education section below.
FOR THE GS-12 LEVEL: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:
- Conducting research in swine immunology, including applying immunological techniques to study host-pathogen interactions.
- Designing experiments and performing statistical analyses to evaluate research outcomes.
- Assisting in the development and execution of animal models for infectious foreign animal disease research.
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Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Master's degree in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.
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Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs - Successful completion of two years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position.
FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:
- Conducting advanced research in swine immunology to investigate immune responses to viral pathogens.
- Handling livestock and performing animal procedures, including inoculations, vaccinations, necropsies, and clinical evaluations.
- Developing vaccines and countermeasures for foreign and emerging viral diseases.
- Designing, developing and executing animal models to support infectious disease research and countermeasure evaluation.
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Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Ph.D. degree in an in an area of specialization, including but not limited to, animal science, avian medicine, food safety, infectious diseases, veterinary clinical sciences, pathobiology, biomedical sciences, veterinary anatomy, veterinary preventive medicine, comparative biological sciences, epidemiology, veterinary parasitology, molecular veterinary biosciences, public health, microbiology, pathology, immunology, laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, wildlife, zoological animal medicine, or sciences related to the work of a veterinary medical officer position.
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Residency/Post-Graduate Training Programs: Successful completion of three years of an internship, residency program, or fellowship training program in a discipline related to the position.
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Board Certification: Specialty boards that are recognized by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) certify eligible candidates as specialists in specific veterinary medical fields. Veterinarians who successfully complete all requirements for Diplomate status in an ABVS-recognized veterinary specialty organization may qualify for the GS-13 grade level.
FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:
- Leading research in swine immunology to characterize immune mechanisms underlying viral disease.
- Handling livestock and conducting complex animal procedures such as inoculations, vaccinations, necropsies, and clinical assessments.
- Assessing virus specific cellular immune responses using advanced immunological assays.
- Applying recombinant DNA technologies to express immune modulators and support vaccine development initiatives.
Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.
FOR THE GS-15 LEVEL: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:
- Utilizing expertise in swine immunology to develop and apply countermeasure technologies aimed at reducing the economic impact of foreign animal diseases.
- Creating vaccination strategies and additional mitigation approaches targeting viral pathogens in suids.
- Enhancing detection, control, and characterization methods for viral infections in swine populations.
- Planning and supervising multidisciplinary research programs; interpreting data, publishing results, and maintaining adherence to high standards for animal welfare and stakeholder needs.
- Ensuring compliance with biosafety protocols for high containment research facilities, including federal select agent regulations and institutional animal care standards.
Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level
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.
To further support your qualifications, it is strongly recommended that you submit a one-page abstract of your MS thesis and/or Ph.D. dissertation. Failure to do so could result in loss of your consideration/referral. Also, please submit a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons familiar with your stature, contributions, recognition; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional or honor societies; invitations to make presentations at scientific/technical meetings; scientific society office and committee assignments; presentations (other than invitation); and publications.
Applicants must be available to report for duty at the time a selection is made. Selections are typically made within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
Education
Basic Requirements
Degree: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA). The AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org (external link), has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools.
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Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education (Refer to AVMA web site, http://www.avma.org (external link) for information about schools in this category) must meet one of the following requirements.
- Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG)
- Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT).
- Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g. residency or graduate program).
Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also provide proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and 5.5 for the TWE;
- Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking, 6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing;
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- Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.
Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must submit test results with their application. Results of more than one test or testing session cannot be combined to meet the standard.
Additional information
- This position requires the selectee to undergo a pre-employment check and a full background investigation. Any offer made is considered a tentative job offer pending the outcome of the pre-employment check. Retention in the position is based upon a favorable adjudication of the background investigation. The incumbent w
