Biological Science Laboratory Technician (Microbiology)

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: 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 at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• 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.
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.
• Work requires substantial manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
• Occasional lifting of objects up to 40 pounds is expected.
• Duties may require occasional use of personal protective clothing.
• Immunization against diseases being studied which are transmissible to humans may be required.
  
  

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.

FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:

• Performing microbiology techniques such as fermentation, anaerobic and aerobic culture, aseptic technique, microbial cell count, gram stain, light and fluorescent microscopy or viral techniques (neutralization, detection and propagation).
• Performing virology techniques such as cell culture, egg inoculation, virus propagation, virus neutralization and light and fluorescent microscopy.
• Performing in-vivo (vaccination/challenge and toxin-antitoxin neutralization) potency tests in laboratory animals and in-vitro (ELISA, cell assays) in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Performing molecular techniques such as DNA/RNA extraction, DNA isolation, electrophoresis, real time PCR, conventional PCR, plasmid isolation and characterization, Sanger sequencing or next Generation sequencing.
• Keeping laboratory records in accordance with quality assurance requirements and preparing written summary reports of laboratory work and presenting this information in a small group setting.
  
  

OR one full year in graduate education in biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, mathematics, or related fields with at least 6 semester hours in microbiology, biology or chemistry.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS Are Required If

• You are qualifying for the position based on education.
• You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
• This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university
  
  

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-07 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that 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.

Education

Please see above for education qualification requirement information.

Additional information

• 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 85 out of a possible 100.
• First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
• This is also being concurrently announced as a term position under Announcement Number DE-12618695-25-VS. Current or former Federal employees or other eligible applicants may apply to both announcements to expand all possibilities of consideration since different referral criteria apply to each type of announcement. See the above announcement for more information.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
• This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit (union), specifically the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2315.
• Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
• Worksite Information: This position is located at the duty station(s) listed in this vacancy announcement and is not eligible for telework or remote work.
  
  

Read more

• Help 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.