Summary Incumbent is a Research Leader at the USDA-ARS Sugar Cane Research Unit, at Houma, LA.
Improve sugarcane production efficiency for sugar and bioenergy through germplasm enhancement, through the development and release of superior commercial cultivars; improvement of cultural practices; integration of management of weed, disease, and insect pests; and acquiring fundamental ecosystem data that can be used to improve our understanding of sustainable sugarcane production systems.
Responsibilities Improve sugarcane production efficiency for sugar and bioenergy through germplasm enhancement.
Develop systems-level precision agriculture strategies and tools based on climate, soil, water, and nutrients to increase sugarcane yield, sustainability, and ratoon longevity.
Develop sugarcane cultivars and germplasm with improved agronomic traits, disease resistance, environmental adaptability, stress tolerance, and genetic diversity.
Ability to work the complexity of the specific objectives requires sophisticated research techniques that include new technologies in the areas of modeling broad-scale processes in agricultural production systems.
Pursues multiple approaches and collaborates with diverse scientific disciplines such as plant pathology, weed science, entomology, and molecular biology.
Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Announcement dates extended.
Position will now close on Friday July 8th, 2022 Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement July 8th, 2022 including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
GS-14: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service or possess a Ph.D.
or equivalent doctoral degree or possess an equivalent combination of graduate level education and experience.
Graduate education must be directly related to the work of the position and must have equipped applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.
Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled.
The specialized experience requirements for the GS-14 level of this position are: 1) Develop systems-level precision agriculture strategies and tools based on climate, soil, water, and nutrients to increase sugarcane yield; 2) Lead unit scientist in developing research projects in improving sugarcane production; 3) Primary author on publications for those that impact the advancement of the field of sugarcane production or are viewed as authoritative; 4) Conceive and formulate research ideas and methodologies that advance the sugarcane production field of science or are cited by other scientists; 5) Communicate with stakeholder organizations and translating industry needs into researchable activities.
GS-15: 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 the GS-15 level of this position are: 1) Manage one or more research programs, including personnel, equipment and fiscal resources; 2) Lead multidisciplinary teams to develop research project plans and/or written research proposals; 3) Plan research procedures and techniques and design experiments and data collection with other team members including from other agencies, organizations or commercial partners; 4) Present scientific information in both verbal and written modes on improved sugarcane cultivars and new cultural practices to manage threats to sugarcane and increase sugarcane yield, ratoon longevity, and sustainability in the face of climate-driven impacts to officials in government, industry, and universities, customers, partners, stakeholders, support personnel; 5) Invited speaker to symposia; 6) Participate in organizing national and international professional conferences.
Supervisory/Managerial Competencies
– the following KSAs will also be used to evaluate candidates in the interview and selection process: 1.
Ability to lead and accomplish work through others (i.e.
team building, conflict management, cultural awareness, strategic thinking, technology management, and political savvy.) 2.
Ability to communicate with individuals or groups from diverse backgrounds in a variety of situations.
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 Minimum qualification requirements are found in the OPM Qualification Standards Operating Manual for General Schedule Positions.
Qualification requirements must be identified for each grade level advertised.
Basic Requirements series 0440 Degree: genetics; or one of the basic biological sciences that included at least 9 semester hours in genetics.
Graduate Education: Genetics, or a curriculum or pattern of training that placed major emphasis on genetics.
Graduate study in related fields such as agronomy, horticulture, animal, dairy, or poultry husbandry, entomology, microbiology, plant pathology, chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and physiology that involved cross-training in genetics is qualifying, provided it placed sufficient emphasis on genetics.
Evaluation of Education: Most students in the field take graduate work because specific training in genetics may be limited at the undergraduate level.
Under these circumstances, it may be necessary to evaluate undergraduate course work in genetics in one of two ways, as described below, to determine whether or not it is qualifying.
Courses dealing with genetics, some phase of genetics, or specific techniques that are applied in genetics work are acceptable.
This includes courses in Genetics, Plant or Animal genetics, molecular and cellular biology, mathematics and statistics (as they apply to genetics), population dynamics, and certain techniques such as those dealing with irradiation.
Course work consisting of an appropriate combination of basic courses in genetics and cytology or statistics are also acceptable.
Basic Requirements series 0470 Degree: soil science or a closely related discipline that included 30 semester hours or equivalent in biological, physical, or earth science, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in such subjects as soil genesis, pedology, soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil fertility.
OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in soil science or a related discipline that included at least 30 semester hours in the biological, physical, or earth sciences.
At least 15 of these semester hours must have been in the areas specified in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Basic Requirements series 0471 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 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 A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
Graduate Education: Agronomy, or one of the related disciplines or fields of science, such as plant physiology, soils, or genetics, where the curriculum or pattern of training placed major emphasis on field crops or agronomy.
Graduate study in related fields, such as botany, plant pathology, and biochemistry may also be qualifying, provided it placed a sufficient amount of emphasis on agronomy.
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.
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 will be subject to periodic reinvestigations.
CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: Federal employees are subject to prohibitions against officially dealing with outside organizations in which they have a financial interest.
If hired for this position, you may be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of the effective date of your appointment and annually thereafter.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible.
To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.
CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section.
When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 71 out of a possible 100.
Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized.
Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.
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.