Research Geneticist (Plants)

Summary These positions are assigned to the Vegetable Crops Research Unit located in Madison, WI. The unit conducts fundamental and applied research on the genetics, cytogeneticist, systematics, molecular biology, and breeding strategies of vegetable crops, specifically carrots and onions. The incumbent serves as a scientist on a project developing germplasm enhanced for use by growers, processors, consumers, and researchers. Learn more about this agency Requirements 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 Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check 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/. Successful completion of a three year probationary period. 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. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Minimum qualification requirements are found in the General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov) Qualification requirements must be identified for each grade level advertised. Basic Requirements Genetics Series, 0440 Degree: Genetics; or one of the basic biological sciences that included at least 9 semester hours in genetics. GS-12: Applicants must demonstrate at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 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-12 level of this position are: - Conducting research related to crop productivity, disease and pest resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and consumer quality of carrots and/or onions; AND/OR - Publishing research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals; AND/OR - Presenting research findings at scientific conferences or academic meetings, either in person or virtually. GS-13: 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 the GS-13 level of this position are: - Conducting independent research related to crop productivity, disease and pest resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and consumer quality of carrots and/or onions; AND/OR - Publishing research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals; AND/OR - Presenting research findings at scientific conferences or academic meetings, either in person or virtually. - Experience supervising staff to accomplish research objectives. 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. 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 Please see above for education qualification requirement information. 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. Read more Benefits 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 window Learn 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.