Plant Breeder Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

This position is located in the USDA, Office of the Chief Economist, Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP). OPMP's mission is to: 1) integrate and coordinate the pest management efforts of the Department; 2) provide data and analyses to EPA to better inform pesticide regulatory decisions; and 3) provide a Departmental focal point for farmers, grower organizations, EPA, and State Land Grant institutions regarding pesticide and pest management issues.Qualifications:To be considered minimally qualified fort this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.
Qualifications: Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
Time in grade:
Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below.
BASIC REQUIRMENTS:

1. Degree: agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management.

OR

1. Combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown in 1 above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Evaluation of Education: Course work in such subjects as botany, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant breeding or genetics, plant ecology, plant pathology, microbiology, agronomy, or those dealing with basic soil-water-plant relationships of an agronomic or ecologic nature may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in the basic plant sciences. Agronomy courses include agronomy, fieldcrops, field crop production or management, soil and crop management, plant breeding and development, weed control, and similar courses, including those in soils, biochemistry, plant physiology, etc., provided they dealt with principles, methods, or procedures that are applied directly in agronomic work and in the solving of agronomic problems.
IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
SPECIALIZED EXPRIENCE: At the GS-15, Qualifying experience for GS-15 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is professional experience in pesticide risk assessment, including independently providing authoritative inputs into herbicide risk management decisions; recognized expertise in crop production practices, ecological protection requirements (e.g., ESA, etc.), and emerging science and policy issues related to herbicides; familiarity with State Lead Agency (SLA) processes and perspectives; experience leading multi-disciplinary teams on nationally-relevant herbicide issues; experience identifying and proposing novel regulatory alternatives for pest management policy decisions, including for highly-complex cases; and communicating with policy analysts, officials, leadership, interagency partners, and general audiences about pesticide regulatory considerations.
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:For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualified for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that include your name, of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if selected.
Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degree from schools accredited by accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Foreign Education: Education completed in a foreign colleges or university may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application.Employment Type: OTHER